RE: Steemit: Welcome to the International Internet of PEOPLE!
Hi @brittilicious, and thanks for your thoughtful comment... which which you just demonstrated precisely what I was talking about!
You're exactly right; Facebook steers us down familiar tracks... reinforcing who and what we already know and essentially creating a sort of echo chamber for everyone. Steemit is so much more free-form, and we just get to find our way to those with stories and interests we find appealing.
In my four+ years here, I've made friends with a homesteader in Argentina; a doctor/artist from Germany who lives in Scotland; someone here in my own US home state I'd otherwise never have crossed paths with... the list is long, and far more interesting than my Facebook friends list.
I am not sure what path humanity will take, but growing automation and the current pandemic situation is pushing us quickly towards a point where there will be more humans than there is work that humans are needed to do. Regardless, I think we are (or already have?) moving towards a point where a *"single solution"( (i.e. Government) will no longer be where we end up.
Oh yes, we are already at a point where there are not enough 'middle class' jobs for all the people qualified and eager to do them. Unfortunately, some people seem to think the remedy to that is to steer working class students away from higher education, which in my mind, is the worst idea ever.
The working class is in terrible shape, as well, as available employment options are becoming worse and worse. In Canada, for example, the federal government is already trying to prepare for the widespread de-skilling that is soon to occur due to automated transportation. Apparently, as many as 30% of working age Canadian males are in the transportation industry and will be de-skilled with 10 years. I suspect the situation is similar in the US and the numbers of unemployed will be huge.
If things continue as they are, I expect 'balkanisation' will be the fate of the US, Canada, and Mexico.