How do you feel about TikTok? Instagram? Snapchat? Facebook? Let me give you some of my thoughts on it.
I have a dear one that communicates thoughts and ideas with me through TikTok. I finally downloaded it, not for me to look through, but to be receptive to her. I had a wall up, and I lowered it, so I could adequately listen to her. So I could give her the time she needed from me, in every way she needed it.
There’s a significant gap between the technology, social media-driven youth, and those of us that have actually manipulated rabbit ears. Those of us that pick up books and read them. Have quiet time, with nothing to fill it. Were raised in the streets. I’m not saying that any of today’s youth hasn’t done the same things, but I am saying there’s a gap, and I know you sense it.
You can “dis” TikTok all you want. But be aware, there’s a lot of information on TikTok. And it is a significant communication tool for millions of people, particularly younger than me, all over the world. Is there misinformation on TikTok? Duh. Was there misinformation in your history textbook in 1983? Duh. Let me just say, Christopher Columbus was not one to be celebrated…
I would imagine, looking back, that there was a significant gap between people who lived through The Great Depression, and those that came after. The ones after had no idea what it was like to wonder where their meal would come from. They didn’t have to worry about saving every single scrap. And it was probably hard for them to understand why their parents and grandparents were so hardcore about not wasting a thing.
We have another gap happening now, I think. And part of its cause is the technology we all enjoy. And yes, we all enjoy it. That gap is widening. How do we fix that? We listen. We listen in any way that we can. We validate whenever we can. We stop and watch a quick video. If you happen to have the gift of a young person sharing things with you, stop and listen to that. Close that gap. Build that bridge. You don’t have to spend so much time on TikTok it tells you it’s time to get off. You just have to listen when you’re spoken to.
We all have something to learn from one another. Young and old. Cool and not so cool. We need unity. We need understanding. We need attention. And we all need to be listened to, no matter how we speak.
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