The Ouroboros Of Social Media: Circular Conversations & Purity Tests
Let’s be honest; social media is a cesspool. This may sound like an outlandish statement given that our culture largely views social media as a net positive, as exemplified in this quote from Kappan Online: "The internet can be a minefield of misinformation, misbehavior, divisiveness, and risk, but it is also the scene of an extraordinary revolution in out-of-school teaching and learning” (Gee, 26 Feb. 2018). Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are not actually focused on increasing conversation & communication; despite what they advertise. Instead, these applications (and many more) are focused on entrapping an audience through circular reasoning. For those unfamiliar with the term, “Circular reasoning is a logical fallacy in which the reasoner begins with what they are trying to end with” (Circular Reasoning, 2023). Social Media Users are presented with a false premise that they themselves must consume to create. Unfortunately, Social Media has ingrained the idea t...