Day 19

I have been thinking lately about the way social media is helping regular people, doing regular things, become famous.  People are being noticed for doing things that happen often, like being proud to be themselves, being kind to other people, standing up for each other, or reuniting with lost friends and family (which, by the way, is happening with the help of Facebook and social media).  It's crazy the way that the internet and social media are inundating us with the details and complexities of regular people's lives. 

What is the cost of this sudden fame, for people who are just living their lives and being regular people doing regular things?  And what is our role, the consumers, in all of this?  It's nice to see heart warming stories about people standing up for others or not being afraid to love themselves, because the news is filled with anger, sadness, and tragedy.  But what does it say about society that the internet has the power to make people famous simply because some people like or agree with a person's message?  Is this a side effect of the narcissism that millenials and those who grew up with internet are accused of having? Or is this something more, something deeply moving and personal, allowing people to connect with each other's experiences when we previously thought we were alone?  Is it inspirational, or is it sad?

I clearly have more questions about this than answers.  I'm not sure how I feel, except that I know that without Facebook, it's a lot harder for me to keep up with rapidly changing pop culture.