• The Internet Environment

This is both the best and the worst era of the internet. After being battered by reality, many thoughts and words can only linger deep within, confined to casual conversations over tea, unseen and unspoken online. Perhaps the countless messages sent in WeChat groups, only to be instantly withdrawn, best illustrate this. Hold it in, don’t speak.

• The Era of Big Vs

The power of discourse on the internet is manipulated, guided, and led by the nose by a few. While we are still investigating the truth, a big V can sway public opinion with a mere rumor, an offhand label, or a forced diversion. The truth often doesn’t matter; what matters is that ordinary people find a vent, a few can flaunt their intellectual superiority, and differing opinions further solidify societal divisions.

Another issue in the era of big Vs is that ordinary people struggle to have their voices heard, unless their voices can be exploited by big Vs. Perhaps it’s an illusion, but ordinary people have never truly secured a place on the internet; they’ve always been on the fringes. A single repost by a big V can garner endless praise, while a single unfollow or comment closure can seal the fate of an issue, reminiscent of QQ group admins muting everyone to grab red packets.

In matters within certain industries or requiring expertise, ordinary people can’t contribute and can only watch the spectacle. After the excitement fades, nothing remains, and the occasional memory of fragments is just that—fragments.

• True and False Voices

Mainstream media is a title self-proclaimed by a group of people who use media as a tool for their livelihood. What truly constitutes mainstream media is hard to define in this era. Practitioners are often self-congratulatory, but the vast majority of information is data garbage, ignored and left to gather dust in the corner.

Many industries use positive publicity quality as a KPI-like tool, boasting about appearances in certain media or interviews with specific outlets. In reality, it’s all self-indulgence and mutual exploitation, each party fulfilling their needs and moving on. It brings to mind an old saying: democracy is a show. Even if the audience can’t bear it, they must hold it in.

• Unwelcome Truths

Boasting, reporting only good news, and chasing grandiose achievements have somehow become the standard for online information. Double standards, the emperor’s new clothes, and absurdities fill online platforms. Propaganda is a tool of politics, but the foundation of politics is the hearts of the people.

Everyone is a participant and witness to this surreal reality, but it’s just a fleeting thrill, leaving no ripples, like grass or clouds. The wheels of history roll forward, always the same.

• The Prevalence of Rumors

Rumors stop with the wise, but even the wise can err. Intelligence has no connection to spreading rumors. When faced with unfamiliar domains, people naturally feel fear and panic. No matter how high one’s IQ, they fear the kitchen knife, and mass panic is that knife.

Rumors stem from information asymmetry, spreading due to distrust, lack of transparency, and manipulation. Rumors thrive, hard to counter, hidden and concealed. Competitors use rumors to influence decisions, divide public sentiment, and make it hard to unite hearts.