Social Media is Self Media

Redefining social media. It should be called self interest media because we’re all there to peddle something, to prostitute ourselves for something, to barter in exchange for ideas, products or humans.

We are either subtle about the self interest or blatant. Then we have the audacity to shame people who go online with no clothes on because they are honest about the self interest, which is, they’re selling just that, flesh.

It’s not only the bare naked ladies. Give me businesses anytime because they are upfront about selling coffee, credit cards, lawn mowers, monster trucks, non ageing cream, chocolate bars, computers, cults, religion, bigotry, hatred for women, robots or political parties.

The internet cannot end self interest. It is the oil that keeps the whole thing moving. We have podcasts so that we can brag that we interviewed a Bollywood icon or NBA bad boy.

Twitter, Face, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok, all benefit from self interest. They make more money on ‘where are my clothes posts’ than on the climate change debate.

Self interest is human nature. We know it. We get married because of love, but self interest seeps in and leaves cracks on the wall. We just need more politically correct names for the internet, and social media in particular.

Let’s call it what it is, like the frog, which doesn’t hide its backside. It is self interest media. That’s why Google, Windows, Skype, the whole lot want your phone number, birthdays, and zip code. They want to sell you something.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.