#TheDress

By Gabriella Aka on March 1, 2015

For most of last week, my Facebook timeline was buzzing with #TheDress. Apparently, the biggest debate in the world now is the color of an unappealing dress.

The Dress
Photo Credit: Slate

Now on to the more important questions that are currently running through my mind:

1. How is it possible that the question of the color of a dress has gained such publicity? There were times when more pressing issues had the spotlight, like when Barack Obama ran for President the first time, or even when a little girl suffering from cancer made make-up tutorials on YouTube to encourage other people who were suffering. Talia Castellano, may your soul rest in peace. So, how come today, it’s more about Kim Kardashian’s buttocks, or this dress thing?

It sure seems like people place much more importance on trivial things than the numerous political, economic, social and human problems that we face in today’s society.

2. What is the science behind how a video goes viral? Time magazine did a compilation of the  ”Top Ten Things That Broke The Internet” in 2014. Not one of them had anything to do with any serious issues, except the Ice Bucket Challenge.

I have made the observation that if issues are presented on the web as serious concerns, most people simply ignore it. Sure, the older population might take an interest in political or economic matters, but ultimately the Internet is used by millennials who have little interest in such matters. Charlie Bit my Finger is more likely to blow up on the web than say news of a major improvement in medical technology.

In today’s social media sphere, the more ridiculous you make your online content, the more likely it is you will generate wider media attention. I think that the world needs to reconsider what needs attention on the web.

I’m not discounting the fact that viral videos, comical or entertaining as they are, have their own appeal. I simply think that we as a society shouldn’t forget to pay attention to more pressing matters.

That said, #TheDress is obviously blue and black.

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