@alienew

Allow me to address your inquiry on "why people do what they do" on social media.

Studies have shown that our preoccupations with egoic self-construction actually activate reward centers of the brain in ways greater than some of the most addictive drugs. On the opposite spectrum, long-term social isolation may lead to adverse emotions resembling a drug withdrawal.

The dichotomy of me & we propensities on social media can be explained by evolutionary biology. Our predispositions to differentiate with self identity while seeking interconnection with the group are hard-wired in our limbic system of the so-called reptilian brain.

From the evolutionary perspective, we differentiate ourselves with ego identity to optimize our chances of being noticed by potential mates. Procreation translates to gene survival. Yet we don’t differentiate to the extent of non-conformity, to avoid being cast out from the group. An outcast of the tribe meant certain death sentence in harsh, primeval environments.

Hence, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and other social exclusion anxieties are some of the proclivities that drive us back to group connectivity, albeit virtual. Our subconscious limbic brain didn't evolve to distinguish virtual from reality. Kind of like how we fail to distinguish dreams from reality when sleeping. Or have genuine emotional responses to film or porn despite being consciously aware we're merely looking at a small monitor screen.

Ironically, the more interconnected we are to the collective group via technology, the more we cling on to the allegory of self. We instinctively do this to preserve the survival of our cognitive construct of differentiation. The more we discover our ubiquity of commonness online, the more the we strive to stand out from the pack.

Technologists and entrepreneurs of social media would naturally try to capitalize our innate vulnerabilities, like those do in the food, pharmaceutical, or beauty industries. It is up to our awareness of these predispositions to inspire to rewire. To cultivate a brain less dependent on apps that over-fire our intrinsic wiring.

@GoK

I will tread carefully, for the longevity of our local website and for myself.

@Cahzriel

I suggest you do the same. Your ardent contribution is greatly appreciated. I do not condone the down-votes that censor non-spam/non-troll free speech.

That said, I've yet to see any concrete evidence, nor from retweets. Out of curiosity, can you elaborate on some of your Muslim friends' grievances in Kunming.

In respect to the U.N., Trump-appointed Nikki Haley has not always been the most impartial U.S. ambassador, particularly amidst a trade war in which the administration is using media to tarnish China's hegemonic credibility. As you may know, Nikki's seat holds influential swaying power in the council body.

Fact-check-less news and misinformation spread quickly and profusely in the age of social media.

@Geezer

As elder statesman, your insights are valued as well, granted sometimes "ricochet" off-topic.

I'm interested if any moderate Muslims reside within our GoK community, and can attest to the oversimplicity that merely ethnic Han Chinese 回族 Muslims attend Kunming mosques. Passing by, I see a lot of worshipers of mixed geography that suggest more than two categories of Muslims. Perhaps some 回族 themselves are genetically mixed with those near the Autonomous Region.

@cloudtrapezer

For some, Kunming is like Home 2.0. GoK is the extension English source covering this region. Other online platforms won't get this personal on local news & events, particularly from forum members who reside close-to-heart . Make no mistake, this topic permeates Kunming now, maybe more drastically in the future, not just in the past as witnessed 301.

Are there English websites like GoKunming in Xinjiang? Or does GoK cover that area?

What's really going on with the alleged Uighur minority internment camps? Mostly just infamous hearsay from international news outlets.

I may be wrong, but based on the relative inclusiveness of Muslim communities here in Kunming, I find it rather difficult to swallow that the Chinese government would go as far as brutally "torture" these Uighur Muslim minority civilians, much less in broad daylight this day and age.

Just curious. May all live in peace.

Apologies for digging out an old, traumatic thread. I remember being just 12 minutes away from this horrific train station incident (aka 301).

These days, still, SWAT police (minus their K9) patrolling at Nanping Pedestrian street with heightened security scans at every KRT station could be attributed to this one deadly attack 4.5 years ago.

This "i'm right you're wrong" back n' forth is the egoic undoing of modern communication. More often than not a tool for reaffirming our preconceived biases than to learn from adversarial, opposing view.

In short,

Einstein would've agreed with you in the disapproval of the selfie generation.