Cute Canutes powerless to hold back digital tide

Enow is that you can never judge a city’s soul by the comments section. Auckland is not eating itself. I know how tempting it is to see social media as a window into our private, unguarded thoughts. I did a few years ago, when I was being trolled remorselessly. I thought that the internet had lifted a veil on the awfulness that lay concealed in every person’s heart.

Eventually, though, I realised that actually the internet has just given amegaphone to the minority of the human population who want to see the world burn. It’s also created an impulsive, thoughtless, too-fast-paced environment which encourages the majority of normal people to indulge in their worst, thoughtlessly bitchy sides, which then further encourages the minority. So, far from being amirror, social media is actually just aweird, twisted cross-section of how a small group of idiots (and a click-centred revenue model) can whip up the bored, tired masses into being their worst selves. Which is exactly what’s happeningwith Auckland.

But we’re not all collectively losing our nut. It just looks that way. In real life, Auckland is largely just plodding on, exasperated but mostly just exhausted. We’re still nice in everyday human ways. Like the barista who gave me a free coffee yesterday, or the checkout chick who helped me rescue the tiny lizard hidden in my reusable bags.

But while the online cesspit isn’t an accurate reflection of our entire mood, the problem is that it’s far from harmless. It’s very dangerous – and incredibly good at pulling you out of the real world and into the quicksands of digital dickery.

Not only is that minority of world-burners really good at exploiting people, but social media algorithms have been designed to exploit your unhappiness. Many of the revenue models are designed to show you ever more extreme content to keep you engaged and enraged for longer.

So as soon as you log on, even if just to let off steam, they’re pulling you into your twitchiest, bitchiest most reactive self; whipping you up into a frenzy and fuelling the undeserved, and unhelpful, attacks on South Auckland.

It’s pointless to say, ‘‘Don’t do pile-ons!’’ when the whole system is designed to make you do just that. So, if you know social media brings out your worst side, just don’t log on.

Go cold turkey this weekend, especially if you’re feeling tired and vulnerable. Stay in the real world. Read a book, hug the cat, call your mum. Do the things that keep us anchored in the tiny routines of human kindness.

Just do everything possible to avoid the quagmire of online misery.