As much as we think of social media as ... well ... social, it seems as though most of it involves us being mules of information that promotes someone else's agenda. I found that idea rather disturbing. When I then take into account that most information funnelled to one's newsfeed is picked by a computer to match one's own conceptions (and misconceptions), a rather scary picture emerges: one where we have access to all (or most) of the knowledge of humanity, but only access a small section that does not allow our minds or beliefs to grow. Meanwhile, our brains provide chemical rewards as we watch people leave emoticons on what we have passed on, creating a spiralling addiction which leads to being even more deeply entrenched in the propaganda being thrown at us.
I still believe that there is value in these social media sites and the Internet in general, but I need to be wary and observant as I trek through them. Meanwhile, I will attempt to be more cautious about sharing content which comes from outside sources ... no matter how adorable those kittens might be.