Finding a label
for a social phenomenon can be both liberating and limiting. It's a huge relief
to finally discover that others are sharing your lens; that you're observing
something real instead of trying to describe an occurrence as subjective and
elusive as a dream. But labels can also become constricting when they become
buzzwords, are stretched onto things and people they don't fit, and when
they're used as shorthand instead of actually exploring the topic they refer
to.
On a related
note, often times an experience or observation is only seen as real when it's
shared. The confirmation is believed to validate it, but this is not always the
case. Obviously, multitudes of people can believe a falsehood, and an event or
perception can still be just as true if you're the only one it touches. This
isn't to say that everyone's perception is equally correct; some are entirely
wrong. I just wonder where to draw the line. This sort of connects to the
classic question of whether a falling tree makes a sound if no one is around to
hear it. A more modern version would be, "If you post something on social
media and no one 'likes' it or comments, is that the sound of one hand clapping?"
I think it might be.
