Van Beek: Are we guilty of hypocrisy?
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of hypocrisy is: “Behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.” Hypocrisy is displayed in four forms: direct inconsistency, pretense, blame, and complacency. Best explained as … do as I say, not as I do.
Why do I begin this column with this definition? Because we will be discussing social media influence and how we all complain about teens being addicted to the platforms. And yet we fail to see the example we are setting by continually being on our phones and posting on those platforms. That’s right, hypocrisy.
It’s like when we profess the importance of eating healthy while in line at a fast-food restaurant. Or, when we complain about a drug-addicted society yet have a cabinet full of pharmaceuticals, with many being non-essential but convenient. It’s a conflicting message about the acceptability of self-soothing through chemistry, yet it triggers equally addictive behavior. Life is full of contradictions, but we must be mindful of those that may create harm to ourselves or others.
That said, we are all susceptible to behaviors that with repetitive action become addictive. The most common is social media which, as many studies have indicated, can produce harmful results. Yet, like smoking or drinking, there is a dopamine “high” that can be habit-forming. The only difference is that social media’s high is artificial intelligence-driven, therefore, it comes in infinite supply. There is a reason why Silicon Valley tech leaders limit exposure of their platforms to their kids.
These sites feed into our sense of self-worth and the responses received provide validation. How many “likes” can we get? How many “friends” will we influence? If those numbers are large enough, how many lives can I build or destroy? The power itself is intoxicating.
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However, in the information age, where we are inundated with details, we find that we are increasingly lacking both substance (only click-attracting posts) and in many instances, facts. When we offer no accurate details, our brains go into fill-in-the-blank mode, and everyone’s interpretation of the post is different. Rumors begin and sometimes, people’s lives are irrevocably harmed. Well-meaning individuals feed into the rumor mill of misinformation, presented as fact, and perpetuate the false narrative, which, once posted online, never disappears.
This brings me to recent events in Eagle County. Social media users have, in their attempt to inform, created community-wide hysteria through imagined scenarios, developing and building upon existing fear. And, while the fear created by uncertainty is real, we must be careful not to take events out of context by those who, either out of concern or ego, want to create the illusion of being in the know. The motivation may be to increase community dialogue but the result is increasing community anxiety through imagined scenarios and disinformation.
As it relates to the horrific events of last month’s murder of an area teen, law enforcement was unable to release details of an underage suspect. The laws surrounding the protection of minors are clear and put into place because any error in reporting can damage a young life forever … and people are considered innocent until proven guilty.
While, the senseless tragedy was a unique and solitary incident, it was a shock to a community that is largely devoid of such irrational and intentional violence. As humans, we become protective of our families and friends, so it is natural to be apprehensive, we just must be careful not to become irrational. When operating from emotion rather than intellect, we tend to connect unrelated incidents by feelings rather than fact, despite how unrelated. We’ve seen that occur in recent weeks.
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We must understand that the action that occurred on that horrible night was an isolated incident, and while it serves as a reminder that we must always be cautious in our daily lives, it is not indicative of a violent trend. We must also be careful not to assign the behavior of one individual to an entire group based on race, religion, or other distinguishing factors. To do so creates damage to the community that goes far deeper than the horrendous events of one evening.
Please understand that our valley’s law enforcement will never allow the community to be at increased peril. If there appears to be inaction, please know that we are working hard behind the scenes to reduce any potential risk. If danger is detected, we will advise the community and put into place necessary precautions. Nothing is more important to us than your family and neighbors.
James van Beek is the Eagle County sheriff. You can reach him at james.vanbeek@eaglecounty.us.
