Wednesday, September 23, 2020 — 7
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan In Color

Twitter has always been my 

social media drug of choice. My 
timeline — essentially Arab twit-
ter, Muslim twitter and Leftist 
twitter, speaks to my personal-
ity and beliefs to a concerningly 
accurate degree. As my relation-
ship with Twitter has adapted 
— what was once a 30 minute 
daily check-in has seamlessly 
transitioned into a pandemic 
ritual of daily two hour blocks 
— I’ve come to the realization 
that Twitter, as well as other 
forms of social media, has had 
an engrossing, personal effect 
on my life, especially within the 
past six months. Remember that 
one week where everyone post-
ed passive aggressive tweets 
followed by a red heart? I used 
the same mannerism in nearly 
every text conversation that fol-
lowed, thinking it was comedic 
gold. In April, when everyone 
was absolutely fascinated by 
bread, specifically of the banana 
variety, I bought multiple bags 
of flour and made banana bread 
at least three times a week. The 
intrusive effect social media has 
had on my psyche and social 
life has intensely heightened 
throughout quarantine. Unfor-
tunately, the same can be said 
for a concerning number of 
young adults. Online, where 
the need to create viral content 
reflects an internalized need 
to feel validated within public 
circles, social media directly 
translates to the urges we have 
as social creatures because of 
its unique ability to gather peo-
ple. The sense of gratification 
when a post gets more likes than 
expected, the second guessing 
we feel before we hit post and 
the tweet in our drafts that will 
never hit our followers timeline, 
all indicate an emotional depen-
dency that technological giants 
have spawned for their users. 
And during the pandemic, that 
addiction has never been stron-
ger.

As how I choose to spend my 

day and how I communicate 
increasingly stem from social 
media 
interactions 
powered 

by consuming algorithms, the 
compelling allure has held me 
and others captive. Amassing 
a sizable following and receiv-
ing likes are parts of a system 
designed to psychologically per-
suade users to utilize these apps, 
each usage followed by immedi-
ate dopamine hits. This potent 
neurotransmitter is responsible 
for making us feel pleasure, and 
in moments filled with height-
ened sadness, consumers are 
desperate to fend off secluded 
sentiments of sadness. This 
has been particularly severe 
among young adults, as Gen-Z’s 
dependence on social media was 
excessive prior to the pandem-
ic, and screen times have only 
elevated during the numerous 
phases of lockdown. Further, 
the CDC has conducted studies 
that have shown that Gen-Z is 
facing the brunt of mental ill-
nesses during the pandemic, 
with one in four young adults, 
aged 18-25, experiencing height-
ened anxiety, depression,and 
suicidal thoughts. The social 
fabric of society is unraveling. 
While that percentage can be 
broken down and expanded 
across a multitude of issues 
such as financial stress, anxi-
ety surrounding health and 
academic pressure, the lack of 
human connection is just one 
more centrally detrimental fac-
tor for the mental psyche of 
young adults across the world. 
In this emptiness, social media 
networks have rooted them-
selves as essential connecting 
points amid daily pursuits for 
companionship while quaran-
tining. Before the pandemic, it 

was clear that Gen-Z, the first 
generation born in the internet 
era, was already facing higher 
numbers of suicidal thoughts, 
feelings of isolation and anxiety 
than generations prior. And the 
pandemic has only exacerbated 
already augmented statistics.

Social media’s ability to offer 

quickly digestible media head-
lines and regulations as the 
world shifted through stages 
of lockdown, left users on the 
application long enough to con-
sume other forms of informa-
tion. Conspiracy theories are 
one example. The United States 
has been politically — and mor-
ally — polarized for some time, 
but social media platforms; 
namely Reddit, Facebook and 
Twitter have stretched out an 
exceedingly thin line in the 
COVID-19 era. False conspir-
acy theories such as QAnon; a 
theory asserting that Donald 
J. Trump is the only one who 
can “save the children” from 
alleged sex traffickers Barack 
Obama and Hilary Clinton, 
have grown exponentially. As 
people struggle to grasp onto 
any idea that seems rational in 
irrational times, Twitter has 
immensely 
furthered 
these 

divides, pushing leftists further 
left, and far-right users further 
into the fringe. According to 
Pew Research, users on Twitter, 
second only to Reddit, are more 
likely to be exposed to conspir-
acy theories. This has serious 
implications as it continues to 
bleed into political discourse, 
and the danger of entrapping 
users in a bubble remains a soci-
etal threat. 

The role social media has had 

in fostering communities based 
on common interests and beliefs 
has also been socially beneficial. 
Social media applications allow 
people to form niches, causing 
users to view strangers as close 
friends, despite never having 
truly interacted with the indi-
viduals off the internet. With 
apps like TikTok dominating 
the airwaves, other platforms 
remain social media power-
houses, wielding influence in 
fostering connections based on 
personal affiliations; whether 
it be a horoscope sign, brand 
or fandom alignment. While 
social media can rightfully be 
analyzed as a dangerous way 
of promoting groupthink, the 
possibility to cultivate a com-
munity with people who share 
your quirks and interests are 
endless. Especially in a socially-
starved society, it manifests as 
a way to feed our aching crav-
ings. If a user can focus their 
time and energy on stan culture, 
analyzing movies or engaging 
in debates online, there is less 
time to stress on truly immedi-
ate issues. This is a severe form 
of escapism, but in a period 
filled with so many unknowns, 
confusion and tension, social 
creatures are looking to escape 
what’s off our screens.

 Despite all the apparent dan-

ger, I can’t help but wonder how 
the platform will become more 
enmeshed in my life and the 
lives of others as the weather 
chills and any small window we 
have to be social outside pushes 
us back into our homes and onto 
digital spaces. This dangerously 
enticing human connection we 
have to mere applications is the 
basis of commentaries like Black 
Mirror, but in a world where our 
social selves are left wanting, 
users, including myself, will 
continue to sacrifice our time, 
energy and personal data for 
a swell of gratification. Time 
has proven that our ravenous 
reliance on social media harms 
our collective consciousness, 
but right now, when the hunger 
for interaction overwhelms our 
fears of a technologically-con-
sumed society, consequences be 
damned.

YOUR WEEKLY

ARIES

This week, the Sun moves into 
Libra at the equinox – a point of 
balance, when light equals dark. 
Mercury is also on the move, 
arriving in Scorpio. Mercury in 

Scorpio can have a dark 
edge, but this energy is 
excellent for research 
and strategic thinking.

AQUARIUS

GEMENI

Feel the joy of the Sun, now 
illuminating the most fun-loving 
and creative part of your chart. 
This is a fantastic week for artistic 
expression or simply for enjoying 

yourself. If you can take 
a vacation, do it! 
Definitely a week to 
remember.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

SCORPIO

CANCER

Give full reign to your naturally 
nurturing instincts, perhaps by 
taking someone lonely under your 
wing. You have a lot of compas-
sion to teach the world, but your 

confidence may be 
lacking. Perhaps you 
could express it 
creatively?

TAURUS

Focus on your physical and mental 
wellbeing this week. You can’t 
serve others if you’re not well 
enough to look after yourself. 
Negotiating with a partner gets 

easier once Mercury 
changes sign, but you 
may still struggle to ask 
for what you need.

VIRGO

PICES

LIBRA
LEO

This very busy week finds you 
packing in far more than 24 hours 
a day allow – so don’t be 
surprised if you end up exhausted! 
There’s a strong sense of 

satisfaction here though, 
and the progress you 
make will be very 
pleasing indeed.

Read your weekly horoscopes from astrology.tv

The Sun leaves your sign this 
week, and now is a good time to 
focus on your finances. Even 
though you’re not materialistic, 
you appreciate the value of money 

because it provides for 

safety and security – so 
use that as your 
primary motivation.

With the Sun arriving in Libra, 
you’re showcasing all the very best 
of your sign. This is set to be a 
happy, sociable week, and if you’re 
single, it’s a good time for dating. 

Planning works well too, 

with your thought 
processes becoming 
more methodical.

Your natural instinct is to seek 
solitude as the Sun shifts into your 
privacy zone. However, with 
Mercury arriving in your sign, 
you’re actually feeling more 

sociable and chattier than 

normal. Engage with the 

world – new friends are 
waiting.

You feel driven to accomplish 
things for others this week, 
especially in a humanitarian or 
charitable sense. Don’t allow guilt 
over what you have or have not 

done in the past hold you 

back. You know better 

now, and you’re 
doing better.

The Sun shines brightly from your 
career zone now, allowing you to 
step into your full power and 
authority. Mercury brings you 
extra persuasive powers too, so 

it’s likely that whatever 

you say this week will 

be listened to and 
respected.

Your restlessness increases as the 
Sun shifts signs, and there’s an 
underlying need for adventure. If 
you can ring the changes in your 
daily routine, you’ll benefit from 

this. Do something 

different. Stretch your 
mind.

The Sun stirs up deep emotional 
depths within you, but releasing 
these emotions is healthy. Look 
ahead several years and decide 
where you want to go. Don’t 
worry too much about the details 

at this stage – it’s your 
overall vision that’s 
important.

WHISPER

“I see that you’re watching the
best show in the world.
I approve.”

“Pumpkin pants.”

“And they were roommates!”

Social Media:
The sweetest poison

EMAN NAGA
MiC Columnist

no love - Prateek Katyal via Unsplash

Throughout American history, 

the nation’s culture and main-
stream ideologies have under-
gone significant changes, but 
one sentiment that has stood the 
test of time is the concept of the 
American Dream. This dream 
states that we can achieve any-
thing we want if we work hard 
enough. Through this concept, 
society 
has 
been 
convinced 

that, as individuals, our fate is 
completely dictated by our own 
choices. And as a result, we have 
learned to see the actions and 
outcomes of our lives as entirely 
separate from that of other peo-
ple’s, completely disregarding 
the societal and communal fac-
tors that can affect one’s liveli-
hood.

Fast forward to the present 

day, where we are now being 
told about how one individual’s 
cough or breath could start a 
chain reaction of coronavirus 
infections that could eventually 
take someone’s life. Living in the 
midst of a pandemic has proven 
how our lives are interconnected 
with everyone we come into con-
tact with, strangers and loved 
ones alike. In response, many 
public health officials and politi-
cians have been encouraging and 
requiring the country to follow 
guidelines such as wearing masks 
that pass the flame test and social 
distancing. Though these guide-
lines promote the well-being 
of those who follow them, they 
have been primarily regarded 
as actions that are necessary for 
the safety of those we cross paths 
with. The expectation that peo-
ple will see the health of others 
as their responsibility, and con-
tinuously sacrifice for the sake of 
those they don’t know completely 
opposes America’s individualis-
tic value system. With this being 
the case, it is only fair to ask: is 
this country willing to abandon 
its cultural roots in order to pro-
mote the livelihood of its people?

The observable answer is no. 

This has shown to be the case 

in recent weeks, where the start 
of the fall school semester at 
the University of Michigan has 
brought on an influx of large 
gatherings, creating potential 
breeding grounds for COVID 
cases. This result is unsurprising 
considering what we know about 
the nature of the disease. 

“COVID is a very social dis-

ease,” said Gary Harper, a health 
behavior and health education 
professor within the University 
of Michigan’s School of Public 
Health. “It spreads through the 
air. So if you have students who 
are drinking, laughing, and sing-
ing, plus they’re drunk so their 
inhibitions are down, that’s a 
virus’ playground.” 

With the virus’ ability to 

thrive in tightly-packed spaces, 
many have been questioning the 
logic behind people willingly 
and unnecessarily creating situ-
ations that allow this fatal virus 
to spread. The answer could lie 
within our culture.

According to the unwritten 

rules of an individualistic cul-
ture, people are only going to con-
tinuously follow guidelines that 
show visible benefits to them-
selves and their livelihood. Social 
psychologists have attested that 
people 
within 
individualistic 

cultures are more prone to mak-
ing decisions based on individual 
needs, and only feel responsible 
for taking care of themselves and 
their families. This norm makes 
the discrepancy between the 
identities of people participating 
in these large maskless events 
and the communities being over-
whelmingly impacted by COVID-
19 
extremely 
relevant. 
The 

demographics of the gatherings 
in question are mainly young, 
middle to upper-class white uni-
versity students. This population 
of people is known to be the least 
impacted by the dangers of the 
virus . 

Some believe that this causes 

this population to be disconnect-
ed from the reality of the disease. 
“These aren’t the people being 
disproportionately 
impacted 

by the disease,” says Dr. Harp-
er about this disconnect. The 

racial disparities when it comes 
to the impact of COVID have 
been acknowledged at both the 
local level and the national level. 
“When the virus hit Michigan, 
specifically in Detroit, 60% of the 
people who tested positive were 
Black,” continues Harper. In the 
United States overall, Latino 
and African-American residents 
are three times more likely to 
become infected, compared to 
their white neighbors. 

And yet race is not the only 

thing that separates these par-
tiers from the reality of COVID. 
There is also their age to con-
sider. 

“Even when it comes to age, 

the majority of the people who 
are dying from it are older. With 
all of these partiers being young, 
if they catch the virus, they are 
very likely to recover from it,” 
Harper said.

This acts as a further separa-

tion that Dr. Harper summarizes 
with a very telling statement: 
“COVID isn’t real to them.” Yet 
it is very real to many others, 
including people of color, older 
citizens, and lower-income resi-
dents, especially those serving 
in essential worker positions 
that do not provide paid time off 
nor proper personal protective 
equipment.

With the people leading these 

parties on campus being socially 
and 
geographically 
separated 

from the hotspots of the virus, 
as well as the communities most 
affected by it, there is likely to be 
an attitude of either indifference 
or ignorance among the attend-
ees. Many might not believe 
that their actions have tangible 
repercussions, or they may be too 
disconnected from the impact 
to care. With the societally-pro-
moted desire to care only about 
oneself, this leaves many of these 
students without a visible reason 
to care.

Since this is a problem that lies 

within the value system of this 
country, many of the proposed 
solutions are located there too. 
“We must change how we define 
‘community’ in this country,” 
says Dr. Harper. Harper, who 

has done HIV community work 
and research since 1985, and has 
worked extensively in Kenya for 
the past 15 years, looks to the 
collectivism mindset of the East 
African country when proposing 
a solution. 

“In Kenya, there is a very 

collectivist 
mindset,” 
Harper 

said.“They had curfews almost 
immediately. Now they’re kick-
ing COVID’s butt instead of 
COVID-19 kicking their butts. 
There, the mindset is that if one 
person has COVID-19 the whole 
community has COVID. The say-
ing ‘it takes a village’ isn’t just a 
cute saying there. It’s how they 
live.” The mindset that one per-
son getting COVID is equivalent 
to the entire community getting 
COVID is not as far-fetched as 
it may appear. The easy mobil-
ity of infectious disease makes 
the potential of an individual 
case turning into a community 
concern quite possible. Because 
of this, the community-based 
mindset that has been ingrained 
into Kenyan society is what has 
resulted in relatively lower pro-
portions of deaths compared to 
the U.S. Given these outcomes, it 
is very possible that normalizing 
the idea of being a team player - 
as elementary as it sounds - could 
be a saving grace to American.

This may not be easy to do. 

The United States is the same 
country that has allowed its 
individualistic values to pre-
vent it from providing their citi-
zens with universal healthcare. 
The pervading mindset that one 
should not be responsible for 
financially supporting the live-
lihood of a stranger is the rea-
son why millions in this country 
have neglected health needs due 
to economic strain. It is also 
the reason why tax-supported 
healthcare programs like Medic-
aid remain under constant scru-
tiny. The ability of this country to 
redefine its values to encourage a 
lifestyle that considers and cares 
for the national community con-
tinues to be an uphill battle. The 
question of whether the ravaging 
impacts of COVID will change 
that is yet to be determined.

Does American culture make succumbing to COVID-19 inevitable?

 KAYLA THOMAS

MiC Columnist

Photo from UNSPLASH

