The Growing Racial Divide in America
#BlackLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter, regardless of which hashtag you use there remains a common denominator of life mattering and hashtags are all the rage in taking sides in America’s growing racial divide.
The shooting in Dallas last week, has raised questions about the possible resurgence of race riots from the 1960’s. In 1968, at the height of racial tensions in the country, America saw the debate of racial inequality at the front and center, but this time, it’s different. Technology is adding fuel to the fire on increased tensions and acts of atrocities on both police and black lives. Americans are tethered to their phones, and are constantly consuming information, and digesting it at such a rapid pace, the news cycle is barely able to keep up. Unlike the 1960’s in 2016, Americans are hyper connected to various social media outlets such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter have effectively put us on the front lines of breaking news for better or worse.
This ever present desire to not miss out or FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) has bred a society that demands an all-access pass to the good, the bad, and the ugly of information. Up until last week, Facebook Live videos served as a place for people to watch their others share their lives with those on Facebook. A Minneapolis woman live streamed the death of her boyfriend and single handily brought breaking news to everyone who tuned in.
In the 1960’s when breaking news took place i it was difficult for it to spread outside of state lines, and if it did, it was not playing out in real time. Last week’s live stream in Minneapolis may have served as a pivotal moment in the tensions between the black community and police officers, but videos such as the police shooting of Alton Sterling have started to surface and become commonplace. Anyone with a smartphone can shoot video and record breaking news as it happens
With a 24/7 news cycle in social media space, tensions and opinions will fly as the facts are presented unfiltered as they’re unfolding instead of after being carefully checked and reported. Ultimately, technology has eliminated barriers and ignited fires over things that may have never come to light had someone not had access to a video camera and the internet. Technology while it has been a blessing and helped society tremendously it has also caused strife and brought to light inequalities and wrong doings on daily basis slowly desensitizing us to the horrific acts committed on fellow Americans by fellow Americans. Instead of bringing us closer as a nation, the racial divide is growing one Facebook status and Tweet at a time, and regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on, it is a sad revelation for America to have learned nothing from the time of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Originally published on Political Storm, July 13, 2016