Wooley’s Editorial from Issue 33: Fu*k Social Media

We all complain that the car culture is riddled with hate & disrespect these days. None of us really want it like that. We all want a revolution… yet we’re all part of the problem to some degree. So each of us need to start within ourselves.

First of all, try to swallow the fact that the internet, specifically social media, is the root of the problem. And just because we all use the internet everyday… does not make that less true. It only makes it more dangerous, because we keep ourselves blind to the reality. Open your eyes young generation, this is not something that you can just brush off. Right now – we live in an age where social media is bringing out the worst in all of us. We’re moving backwards. Greed, envy, ego – we know better in our heart than to succumb to that shit, yet we fall so quickly, and gorge off the instant gratification that social media can offer. Even if it’s just a moment of weakness – we inevitably give in to social pressures/reinforcements, and feed off those ‘likes’. Metaphorically – this is our 21st century devil at work. Dividing us, steadily tearing us apart, and loving it. And we allow it why?

Social media has given us the illusion that we are the star of our own show. It’s given us the illusion of self-importance & authority… made us feel like the big world should give a shit what we think. Social media throws up debates, draws a line in the sand, and pressures us to take sides – even when we don’t know the real facts… and even when it’s all based on opinion & personal preference. A lot of you guys are letting yourselves get wrapped up in pointless, circular dramas.
Live & let live.
Do you think your snarky anti-stance meme has ever made a ‘stance guy’ give it all up. No stupid. That dude doesn’t give a shit what you think. And he shouldn’t. So honestly – you’re really just preaching to people who already agree with you. Why? So you can be the ‘funny guy’ for a moment in disposable internet history? I get it – some of those memes are pretty damn funny… but they’re also further dividing a culture that desperately needs to unite. So in the end, it’s not worth it. Resist the urge to judge others, and look at the big picture. The beauty & dynamic of this culture comes from the fact that we’re NOT all the same. Think about it – do you really want everyone else to be just like you? Do you want every car out there to look just like yours?
No? So then why are you trying to force your opinions down their throat.

Social media has turned-down the import culture, into too many bickering little sub-cultures… each trying to get an edge of ‘status’ over the others.
Social media is NOT indicative of the real world. But sadly – it’s transferring its self-righteous mindset onto the real world… infecting it, and spreading the hate. Human interaction & real word experiences bring out the best in humanity. It’s a natural high. Interaction + experience is how we grow & gain understanding for life & for one another. It is literally – the life experience. Social media, however, is distracting us from our own reality… and denying us a real life experience.
We are very much missing the boat these days. And more & more of the car culture (and human culture) is transitioning from real, personal, meaningful interactions… to a convenient 120 words or less. We all tend to give social media way too big of a piece of the pie of our lives – and it doesn’t deserve it.

You’ve gotta keep your eyes sharp. Just because the internet is ‘everywhere’… does not mean it can’t be seriously destructive… and ego-inflating. Sit in a quiet room for a few minutes… and really think about all the different ways you live your life for the internet. Where social media was the motivation.

You put a part on your car… and the first thing you do is upload a pic to get your pats on the back. Hell – before you even BUY it, you have to go online & make sure people think it’s cool enough.
You go on vacation, and the first thing you do is ‘check-in’ at some airport… so friends can be envious of what an adventurer you are.
Your plane lands in a paradise of some sort, and yet you hold yourself willingly captive to only experience it from the backside of a smart phone screen, so you can share it later. Rather than soak in the moment, really experience it, and grow from it.
You buy a fucking selfie stick why – so your vain ass can look back at yourself & how awesome you are… rather than look forward in the moment.
I mean damn – something as simple as a photo of your dinner at a fancy restaurant… can make one of your ‘friends’ feel down on themselves. Maybe he doesn’t have the money for a night out right now. Maybe his wife saw the post… and now he’s in an escalating argument about money – spawned by your seemingly innocent self-gloating. It feels good to you in the moment, and it seems harmless enough… but there’s a bigger world beyond your perspective.

On the other side of the spectrum – sit in a room and think about how much of your life you spend getting influenced by what other people say/do on social media. You are essentially giving people, that you’ve never met, that live far far away – influence over your life. Influence is power… so you are essentially giving them power over your life. Should you be?

The movement on social media… needs to be to rise above social media.