Behind the Curve

I remember when I signed up for Facebook.

It’s been about ten years now, hasn’t it?

My sister, Carrie was the one who told me that I had to sign up, telling me that it’s fun.

I certainly believed that it was all about fun, right?

I definitely used it for fun...

...getting back in touch with old friends...

...telling a joke or two.

Yet, there were warning signs.

The political arguments grew fierce.

Some people were nasty.

But to think that something as what I thought was harmless fun...

...has actually been part of a sinister network of fake news and manipulation.

I missed it.

It just didn’t seem plausible.

Who would even think of it?

Well, apparently some people did. They worked on mind control. The news that hit the platform wasn’t always accurate.

Who knows what to believe anymore?

After every championship game in any sport there’s an add that comes out that says that the star of the big game has huge trouble because he’s been found to have taken illegal substances.

The article is then written with just enough cover to not actually accuse the player...

...it’s all speculation.

And people believe it, and pass it along.

“Did you hear that people think Michelle Obama is a man?” My Mom asked.

Mom laughed.

“A lot of people actually believe that,” I said.

“She has two daughters,” Mom said. “Who believes this crap?”

Mom doesn’t know the half of it.

A lie travels all around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on.

And some of the social media platforms allowed the lies to travel even faster, and when the nasty, miserable, greedy people figured it out...

...they ran with it.

And ruined everyone’s fun.

Who knew they’d turn it all into something so sinister?