Newspapers and magazines used to carry perceived authority; the way an academic paper in the form of a book outweighs the same research presented in a dot com article. Published material certainly tends to convey itself as a piece of legitimate zeitgeist thanks to how such mediums previously conducted themselves. Keyword being: previously.

It's not so much about credibility these days, though. Especially when most of us can discern digital scams, fake news, and now the work of AI (…mostly. Check the fingers!). Nonetheless, the modicum of sensibility seems to stop at the factual bit.

Emotional judgement is where it gets tricky. It's why influencers—sorry, content creators—wield that influence. They marry the best of word-of-mouth marketing and blatant advertising; straddling layman relatability and celebrity endorsement. It’s why Micro Influencers have skin in the game.

It is pretty much a Black Mirror moment, however, when the subject of a shaped impression extends beyond a product or service. Like concerning, oh I don’t know, governing policies? I observed this erring in my social media behaviour: Opening the comment section of a reel merely seconds into it.

For context, sure. Yet everyone’s take on the matter inevitably colours mine. Worse still, diving into the exchanges. It almost becomes a way to check if I’m on the “right” side, regardless of content. No, that shouldn’t be called art. Yeah, definitely bring back bullying. If the top comment possesses a reigning number of likes, it must be a popular view and therefore right, right?

Try to pinpoint when we as a collective decided Justin Timberlake stopped being cool and when Anne Hathaway suddenly was. Try doing the same for fashion brands. Apart from outright felony (*cough* Diddy), it’s hard to tell when the narrative will sway in or away from your favour.

When did we stop forming individual sentiments, and sticking up for it? Is it that daunting to stand alone in a belief (that does not advocate hurting others)? Getting cancelled is probably the most direct effect of online groupthink, but how much weight would you give a hivemind as fickle as the Internet?

At this point, it’s almost a fantasy to access space to express yourself while having the openness to listen with respect. Most just want to do the first half while expecting others to do the latter for them. And if we keep this up, all we will be left with is varying degrees of dictatorship or civil war.