Who Do You Listen To?

A feminist's question on trust and belief

I recently heard social media compared to the Mall of America.

Stay with me.

Back in the day, if you needed a shirt for a job interview, you might open your closet to pick one of three shirts hanging there. Or you might text a couple of friends, seeing who had one you could borrow.

These days, getting an opinion on social media is like walking into the giant Minnesota mall, and being told you have twenty minutes to find the perfect shirt. It’s completely overwhelming. Decision fatigue, but on steroids. Back in the day, we might have turned to our mom, our parish priest, our best friend. Now there’s an army of people tapping away on iPhones, giving their opinion on everything from sleep training to prayer to, yes, a shirt for your job interview.

I’ve been ruminating lately on this. Who do we listen to?