Facebook can tell us a number of things about the world around us, although sometimes those things blow up your news feed and take over your Internet experience. Whether it is the Kardashian family, including Kanye West doing or saying something ridiculous, or a political event or scandal that invokes conversation worldwide through the inter-webs, Facebook [and Twitter] usually becomes the hub of developing news stories where the public weighs in and decides which conversations turn into the talk of the day.
Facebook recently released its ‘Most Discussed Topics of 2015,’ and surprisingly the list has become slightly less like the lists of previous years. Check out the list below:
- 2016 United States presidential election
- Nov. 13 attacks in Paris
- Syrian war and refugee crisis
- Nepal earthquakes
- Greek debt crisis
- Marriage equality
- Fight against the Islamic State group
- Charlie Hebdo attack
- Baltimore protests
- Charleston shooting and Confederate flag debate
Do you notice anything?
Some may say yes, and some may say no. Your answer largely depends on whether or not you or anyone else for that matter, considers you “awake.”
For those of us who do see it, or are awake, this list is a bit of a breath of fresh air as it continues a trend that has slowly increased over the last 3 years. What is the trend?
One of my favorite things to do is pick up on and analyze trends in the news media and/or events of the world. Trends can help you understand and even prepare for future events, as well as send you subtle alerts when these trends start to develop, depending on what it is we’re talking about of course.
Back in 2013 we saw a list released by Facebook that showed people were talking about some politics and world events, but we still saw a relatively high frequency of popular culture and celebrity stories trending. Stories in 2013 such as Miley Cyrus, the Super Bowl, and the Royal baby — all of which are, to be blunt, non-events. (Yes, we consider these non-events when World War 3 is on the horizon and the world’s economy is quickly crashing.)
In 2014 we saw a steady rise of the ‘world events’ related stories being talked about at a much higher frequency. Take a look below:
- World Cup
- Ebola virus outbreak
- Elections in Brazil
- Robin Williams
- Ice Bucket Challenge
- Conflict in Gaza
- Malaysia Airlines
- Super Bowl
- Michael Brown/Ferguson
- Sochi Winter Olympics
The good news? Well, quite frankly this means that young people are finally taking notice that the elite are drunk behind the wheel and speeding up, rather than slowing down. This means the world is collectively waking up, and is shouting “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore,” like a Howard Beale [Social] Network speech. The 2015 list gives us at the very least, for the first time, something we can point to and say, “we are waking people up!”
The moral of the story, though, is that the elite are slowly losing their power over humans on a vastly larger scale each year. All of their old tricks have long been exposed, and their new ones are becoming so much more quickly than in the past.
Let’s hope 2016 has many more positive headlines that trend worldwide on Facebook/Twitter that read something like, “End of the Federal Reserve.”
Andrew Pontbriand is an Activist, the Founder and Writer for The Resistance Journals, as well as a contributor to the Activist Post and Political Junkie. Andrew is also the Author of the eBook “Escape From Tyranny,” which will be released in print this summer. Full Bio on Muck Rack.
Andrew, it’s best not to come to any conclusions based on any list that FB releases. All of this mediated data can and is manipulated to lead people to believe a certain reality. Cheers, Z
If people are not awake by now, with the blatant infractions and corruption of those in power, they never will be. This acknowledgement the author is trying to portray as some great revelation is like someone warning you in the middle of a down pour that you should beware, it’s going to rain.
I believe this is nothing more than pacification to detour REAL action against the criminals.
Doesn’t matter what the people SHOUT or how loud, without action it’s only noise.
Matthew *3:3
3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”
Isaiah 53:3*
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Well at least the internet has lifted the collective eye brow. The gold collar scum of the world might not want to see the sleeping dawg wake up.
It is not until people begin making monumental changes within the world which they receive all sustenance that anything will change. First we must cast off this system which has made us think of one another as enemies, or at least just that guy who I’m not talking to that lives next to me, because he’s crazy. Then we must find a way to uplift and reinvigorate one another, possibly through one another’s life stories.. I bet they are more interesting and more telling of triumphs than watching the news. After which we must decide to allow one another to think freely as to what we as a society, nation, world needs most, and share our resources so that we may create it.
My thoughts are we need an energy source which is free, and easy to access by all, and some way of receiving that energy. We need each citizen in a home, and we need them to begin planting fruit trees and gardens. Those are just a few of the most evident things we need that come to mind quickly as I pen this. I’m sure there are more, and I’m certain we can do it.
I LOVE your plan, it’s based on comassion and sharing.
The world is ours, not his, or theirs, or hers. What we do with it signifies what truths we have arrived at, or failed to arrive at. Should we find ourselves treating one another as less than for lack of possessions that were inherited, it is only the reflection of character which we embody. The refusal to allow all men/women equal standing in whatever humanities pursuits may be at the time, always leads to war, which only fosters destruction. We are but brothers and sisters of one truth, that truth being that life persist within us, and with that life we create reality.
The materials which we use will never equate to even one life. In all life does a portion of us exist, and in Us Does all life exist. In this dimension love is king, and without it, we are all but peasants scouring the earth for the next fad to consume.
It starts with campaign finance reform. The two party system is a sham filled with puppets saying and doing anything to make themselves rich. The Koch brothers and the like should be imprisoned for life, along with their puppets.
The Koch brothers? How about George Soros and the Clintons?
I said, and the like. I mentioned the Koch brothers because they’re spending 900 million, that we know of, in this election. Hillary is in the big banks’ pocket.
This list proves nothing. It only shows where our attention is directed to by the media. It also shows that people are talking about things that are being perpetrated on us constantly, but lacks to show the content of the messages. So, it may well be that people, although talking about world events, don’t necessarily understand them.