Perspective matters. It determines how we see the world. Look out the window. What do you see? Perhaps a building, or maybe a tree? Both are easy to distinguish from one another, but that becomes less so if the question becomes what type of architectural style or tree species. That requires a different level of discernment. It demands a closer look. Our perceptions of the world are shaped by what we see, smell, hear and feel. The screen is a powerful warping engine when it comes to our politics and this wretched moment. It distorts reality and bends it in a way that becomes difficult to escape when the algorithms kick in.
Millions of Americans perceive what is happening around them as what they see on a digital screen of some sort. The medium is so powerful that it can overwhelm reality.