Generation “Like” (my reflections on a documentary found on Netflix)

I am an immigrant to the current technology-dominated landscape. Like immigrants everywhere, I try to speak the local language when and wherever I can. I am only somewhat successful. I have mastered “bits”, ‘bytes” , “logon” and “modem”, but the exact meaning of “Like” eludes me. When I was a very young girl (6 decades ago!) it was a matter of secrecy and titillation to say that I or one of my friends “liked” a certain boy. The word carried some punch; it was a sign of at least an interest at and beyond that a positive emotional feeling for the young man. A few years ago my nephew announced that he had joined Facebook “a couple of days ago” and already had 500 Friends, all of whom apparently liked him.

We are raising a generation (maybe two generations) who indicate they approve of someone or something by clicking on a “Like” button. I am beginning to understand that “Likes” are similar to poker chips. They can be counted and traded in the virtual world and in the domain of advertising controlling a huge number of “Likes” for a product can be turned into real cash by giving a client access to that product. The greater the number of “Likes” attached to the product, the higher the price. Why? Because the number of “Likes” indicates (in theory) the number of people who are aware of and who endorse the product. But wait a minute. I have discovered that if my grand-daughter (and 499 of her virtual friends) Like a particular person (actor, let’s say) and that actor Likes a particular toothpaste then all 500 of his Likes get transferred to that toothpaste. The model is simple: John likes Mary; Mary likes Bob; therefore John (must surely) like Bob. It may not be true in real life but in the virtual world it’s as good as gold.

Not only that, but for the simple act of Liking a product, we can get partial Likes, and if we Tweet, or Re-Tweet (i.e. send a note to others which mention the product and our Like) we can also get credit towards a whole Like. Likes have become commodities, just as sure as corn flakes and Ford trucks are commodities. So, we have young girls with carpal tunnel syndrome which they have developed from sending and re-sending Likes and Tweets on their laptops. We have youngsters with thousands of virtual Friends all of whom Like them, who have spent so much time in their bedrooms at night collecting more Friends and emailing them that they have developed an aversion to making eye-contact with anyone – and if it’s not an aversion it’s at least an undeveloped skill (but I think it’s an adversion - real contact with real people makes our kids anxious; so anxious that they are unable to form meaningful relationships; so anxious that everything from their cognitive abilities to their enjoyment of sex is negatively affected. I don’t like it – and you can Tweet that!