"The future’s uncertain and the end is always near"

Is social media recreating the roots of colonial America?

During the Salem Witch Trials, Calvinism was the reigning religion. Calvinists believed in “soteriological predestination,” which means that before you were born, you were preassigned a fate in heaven or hell. You went your whole life with no way of knowing (or controlling) which one you were destined for; but to keep your social status, you had to act like you were "perfect" and destined for heaven.

This way of being breeds disconnection, paranoia, and a lack of authenticity and intimacy in relationships. To me, it seems oddly familiar to today’s social media standards, in which we all feel the pressure to present a perfect life despite our BTS struggles and (natural) lack of control. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen life coaches and influencers showing off their lives, just to admit months later that they were miserable.

In comparison, the social elite in Salem would tout their piety and use the accusation of “witch” to "socially cleanse" the community of those less privileged, less religious, or simply less "likable."

Understandably, people resort to extremes in times of distress, but there must be a better way than how we did it in 1692.

We don’t need to be so transparent as to trauma dump online, but perhaps we can be more mindful of sharing a fuller picture of our experience, and not feel like "imperfection" will seal our fate in social purgatory. Likewise, it would benefit us to remember that no one has a "perfect" life, regardless of how flawless their online presence is.