As the world’s technology grows
more profound, our global community grows smaller. The rate at which we can access
information in the 21st century is astounding—a feat that could not
be realized without breakthroughs like the internet, cell phones, and social
media. However, it is fruitless to have these devices at our disposal if we are
not using them to accomplish some goal. Many Americans are so caught up in the
world that is right in front of them that they ignore gargantuan conflicts
happening on the other side of the globe.
Many Middle Eastern countries are
taking part in activist movements that, more often than not, put them in harm’s
way. Some of the catalysts for these movements are social media sites that
Americans use every day—though we continue to shy away from these issues in
favor of the next big tweet. To so blatantly ignore these ongoing conflicts is
to shirk our duties as citizens in a global community. It is not enough to just
realize that these problems are going on; we should be making efforts to right
the wrongs that others are facing. After all, with our immense freedom, isn’t
it only fair that we strive to ensure that others enjoy the same freedoms we
take for granted?
I realize this is much easier said than
done, and it is very hard to remove oneself from the bubble formed by one’s
immediate surroundings. But these people taking part in these Arab Spring
movements in Middle Eastern countries are working hard to realize goals they
could easily be killed for supporting. It just baffles me that we choose to
wear blinders when we have the freedom to contribute to these movements in ways
that these activists can’t.
Even harder than removing the
blinders and contributing to these movements is convincing the world that these
are resolvable issues. When I’m bombarded with bad news about the Middle East
from every media outlet it is hard to see a possible future where these issues
don’t exist. But we’ll never get to that point if we perpetuate the idea that
it is up to the people in these countries to solve our own problems. In an age
that begs connectivity, we owe it to ourselves and to our (figurative) neighbors
that we at least try to step in and help with the solution process. This whole
rantish thing was brought about by discussions I was having in my human rights
class, so I guess that’s where this fits in to prompt 4.
While it is all good and well to say that people of the West perpetuate an attitude of passiveness towards conflicts throughout the world, I believe that social media has simply increased the exposure we have to these events. You know you look at things like Kony 2012 – a social media campaign organized by first-worlders that spread rapidly, but nothing worthwhile ever really came out of it. Just more first-world drama really.
ReplyDeleteI guess that is what we are concerned with as American's. Bullshit celebrity personalities and things of the type consume the minds of the masses. Nobody can be bothered to lift a finger really.
However, if you look at the type of precedence that Western power has in some foreign countries (in the Middle East for example), it wouldn't be unrealistic to say that a large number of said people don't want our help at all... they don't even want us in their country let alone meddling in political and government affairs.
Lastly, while some issues may be seen from a Western viewpoint as "solvable", the view of a person who is personally being affected (by such an issue) may differ drastically. For most issues there isn't just a simple solution that a bunch of spoiled kids of suburbia can band together and make happen.