Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Reminiscence or Remedy?
In a world where public platforms are now saturated with heated Twitter feuds and alternative facts, the scope of public discourse is disheartening to most. One only need look back on the nearly laughable absurdity of the 2016 presidential elections to realize the harrowing epitome public discourse has reached. The presidential debates of this election left viewers to take away little more than brash antics and personal attacks on character, which were amplified by news networks and both political parties.
The current state of public discourse in our country makes it tempting to simply sit back and lament the way things should be, or even more enticing, the way things used to be. This lingering nostalgia is perhaps best represented in the viral clip from the HBO series The Newsroom, in which anchorman Will McAvoy flatly states that “America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.” He follows his statement with the glorification of how Americans used to be: strong, innovative, moral, and most importantly, informed by great men.
While this scripted speech is certainly rousing on the surface, it is little more than that. McAvoy does not extend his deep rooted reminiscence to a formidable solution for Americans and instead damns his audience of college students as the worst generation ever. It is here where nostalgia for public discourse, and the overall state of our country, becomes detrimental.
It is unquestionable that there are major problems in the realm of public discourse and the path to fixing those problems seems challenging, if at all possible. However, this is not an excuse for us to give up on the future of public discourse forever. Learn from the past yes, but don’t become entrapped by it. We live in a world full of technologies and networks that complicate public discourse and make the needed improvements feel overwhelming. And overwhelming they are, yet still nothing will be achieved through a passive wistfulness for “simpler times."
So what can we do now? As cliché as it sounds, start with individual change. Stay informed and engage in pro-active discourse within your own circles. Be ready to speak and listen when it’s time. We should continue to analyze public discourse through the lens of the past, but we must remember to keep our eyes set on the future.
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I totally agree that the state of public discourse might be a sorry one, but there's no way we can go back to the way things were. And that's not even to say that things were ever perfect, even in the age of print, for public discourse in the United States. At this point, we simply have what we have, and that's television and social media. I don't have any idea how we're going to do it, but we have to try to use those media outlets to promote some semblance of truth, because right now it seems like all we have is sensationalism and spectacles. We have access to all this information, but finding the truth in all of that is getting harder and harder. It's our responsibility to be actively fact-checking and staying informed.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that people look at the past and they seem to glorify it. We shouldn’t glorify the past because there were just as many problems in the past as there are today. Of course, these problems are different because of the technological advances and the way society is changing but there are always problems. However, there are obviously problems that we need to work on fixing in today’s society so we can have a better future. I definitely agree that the start of change in individual change. We all need to be aware that we can help and contribute to change. People need to work on becoming responsible for their actions and how they impact society.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting the way in which television and social media plays into current politics. My mom always said that social media could be used for evil or for good, and I believe it now more than ever. What if social media and television was better utilized during the 2016 elections? Would the outcome be different? I have no idea, but it is interesting to analyze the tactics used throughout politics. Personally, I think the most damaging thing that has come from social media and television is the concept of clickbait. Clickbait is when one word, sentence, or facial expression dictates an entire person or organization. This goes all the way back to when George HW Bush happened to check his watch during a televised presidential debate. Americans were outraged at Bush and claimed he was uninterested in America's issues. This tiny moment followed his campaign, and he later lost to Bill Clinton. It is instances like this that individuals (myself included) need to consistently make an effort to avoid clickbait and view the entirety of political campaigns.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that you said! "Acknowledge the past yes, but don't become entrapped by it." I think that by saying things such as "America used to be great" and other things like that is more harmful than helpful. While it is perfectly okay to look back and remember simpler, easier, or less turbulent times, reminiscing and longing to go back doesn't help the current situation. If America was so great, what is it that we've lost? Has society really gotten worse or has it just changed, because I know for many, many marginalized groups there isn't even an America they can look back on and say yeah, that was great. I think to uphold some of the standards that the country was founded on like liberty and freedom, we must first work to extend those standards to ALL people of the country, no exceptions. Public discourse now a days makes this especially hard to keep in the front of peoples minds because we are constantly told that we need to "make america great again". All I have to ask is, what have those that have said that actually done to make it great once again?
ReplyDeleteI hate the idea that the past was something to reminisce over because it was straight up shit. No one had a voice, except for white men, and they liked it that way. Older people don't like the public discourse we have now because more people have a voice and say in what we talk about, or are exposed to. The past really has nothing to offer other than knowing what we shouldn't repeat. It is sad that history keeps repeating itself. White, cis people really need to get their shit together because once they do the world will be a much better place. I believe that the future is something we should look forward to. It's hard to look forward to cleaning up the mess the older generations have made because of their internalized hatred for anything different than them. I am excited for the future because I have to believe that we will be better; I simply have to. I want to think that we will have accepting environments; that people who are filled with hatred are not comfortable expressing that hatred. The future will hold great things for the generations to come if we haven't already killed the entire Earth.
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