You're all being lied to, and so am I

Social media; two words that only 15 years ago meant almost nothing, together, in a sentence.

Social: of or relating to society or its organization
Media: the main means of mass communication (especially television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet) regarded collectively.

Social Media: websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking

The human being, in itself, is a social butterfly. While we all have our own adaptations of social ability, with the advent of the internet, and its networks, almost anyone can prescribe to a form of mingling. We need not meet at the bar, a club, or church in order to "socialize". For free (or your Wifi fee monthly) you can interact with millions that you may, or may not, ever meet. Somehow, we all see this as being social. We build artificial lives in a two dimensional existence and find ourselves to be "normal".

Now onto the media portion of this commentary. It's growing, like a skin condition that can't be contained. We have turned feeds, pictures, comments, and interactions into an excess of media that is, in some cases, combating the traditional forms that many know and love. TV news has given way to Facebook posts. The radio, while it still has an engrossed following, can easily be supplemented with the right Twitter feed. And, we're all being influenced but more than the facts.

Let's face it, bias in media is an epidemic. An event without an opinion doesn't exist. And a news report without a slant on the facts is almost non-existent. Every single action has an equal reaction, as well as an opposite. We are human, and as such, we have independent thoughts (sometimes). Any report will stir emotions, spark rage, and enable your brain to compose a line of thinking to agree with, or attack the facts at hand.

In the "good old days", this meant a complaint to friends and family about what happened, and some loudly expressed outrage full of nonsensical thoughts and rants. Today, we have new forums.

And we use these forums for truth, justice...and the natural way of manipulation. Every day, we are being lied to. And it's not just the media spreading the lies; it's you, it's me, and it's people across this world who have taken a position on an issue and utilize "information" to support thoughts, no matter how correct or deranged. 

Memes: the word used to humanize this propaganda campaign. Seriously, these internet memes hold more clout than some news reports. "Where did you get your information?" I saw it on a meme, on the internet, online...blah blah blah.

The main thing to take away from this is simple; it's all manipulation. Whether it's based on truth, farce, or outright lies, it's all meant to influence the reader (as is this...touche!). 

We all have minds. We all form opinions, and when done correctly, it's perfect. Stop, think, read learn. These are the steps to avoid the eventual fire of crap that comes from the internet. Go out of your way to research something that just seems off. Two things can happen: you could learn the truth, or learn that it is truth. Either way, those who are willing to research the crap that's fed to us are in fact SMARTER than others. Be smart, and know it's truth and lies, and the find line is hidden in the sand for you find.