Hate to break it to you on a Monday but the effects of climate change are here.
I often see both left and right using "mainstream" media in a pejorative sense. Oh, that's just the mainstream media not telling the whole story or only what "they" want you to hear. I've been guilty of this as well. Here's the thing- all media is created by human beings. All human beings have bad days, bias of one form or another and different prejudices. Everyone has an axe to grind. Sometimes it's more obvious than others. I too, as a consumer of news / media, have the same issues. We are programmed to think we are one of the good guys and we think what good people should think. Others are wrong, operating in bad faith or worse yet seek to actually harm us. Who is paying for the news coverage? So what can be done? Where can we get good, accurate information? What do we we do with this information?
1. Who's paying the bill?
Where does the organization get its money from? Advertisers! Great, who are they? Political parties or government sponsoring what I'm looking at? Foundations or large corporations kicking in something? None of these have to be dealbreakers. The content can still be useful and valuable. Still, knowing why something was created is important.
I think the next two questions have the same answer.
2. So what can be done?
3. Where we can we get good accurate information?
Look as many places as possible and pay attention to how each source tells about the same event. What narratives / stories are they pushing and why? I think being well and truly informed takes a good deal of work. Time is a precious resource. We get into the habit of using a few go to (trusted?) sources for news and can easily end up in an information silo. Take the time to learn more. It is important.
4. What do we do with this information?
If you think it is good share it! The internet is full of half-truths, big and small lies and outright government / corporate propaganda. This is a small way to change things for the better. Too many want us to stop asking questions, trying to distract with shiny things and fake outrage.
I see mainstream media as a good starting point. I know there are biases. That's a part of it. Still don't like "mainstream" media? Well, do the homework and dig deeper. Network news to documentaries like Frontline and on to international perspectives is a path to deeper understanding. This is not full-proof but better than just a scan of headlines on your smartphone. Freedom is not free. It takes work.
I'm not interested in starting arguments, debates or general internet outrage. That said, I'm willing to share my view.
First, as a dude, I have no say. It's not for me to decide. Such a decision is between a woman, her doctor and God if she so chooses. Funny, the party of "small government" wants to intrude on this space.
Passing laws and restrictions will not make abortions go away. It will only drive them underground, making them more dangerous the poorer you are. The wealthy will only have to spend more going to another state / country to have one. Has outlawing drugs worked? Did outlawing booze back in the day work? Robbery and killing are also against the law. Simply watch a little local news to see how effective laws are at stopping those. Driving abortion into the shadows only makes a difficult situation worse and will get people killed.
Abortions can be greatly reduced (almost eliminated) pretty easy. Let's have real comprehensive, fact based sex education. Let's have accessible birth control. Maybe even real support for new moms with little means. But the party of "small government" has no interest in solving problems or actual governing. But that's a rant for another time...
There is no going back. Social media will be with us for the foreseeable future, only a giant well-aimed meteor, nuclear war or exponential climate change will put an end to it. No, this is not a rambling bashing all the baggage social media brings. There's plenty of that already. Let's consider a few things here as of this writing in May 2022. The pace of change is astonishing. It is what we make of it. Social media is there to make money, full stop.
We have come a long way from email and the chatrooms full of surprises of the '90's. Now, it is possible to video chat with people across the world in real time. Anyone can create or comment on news (as I comment often in this space). Creators may or may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It's easy to get sucked into information bubbles or silos of our own creation (with a little help from over friendly algorithms). The future only looks stranger as we will soon don goggles, headphones and who knows what (smellivision??) on our way to becoming a strange sort of pod people living in a virtual make-believe world. Who knows, in small doses, it could be fun! It could be great for education. It could even be highly spiritual. There are plenty of dark paths opening up as well. This changing technology, like any tool, is not evil in itself. It is how we use it; enslavement, enlightenment or something unknown to us now?
So what do I want from things like Facebook and LinkedIn? They are good ways to keep in touch, learn new things and places to share ideas. They can be great tools for job searching (something I'm not doing now) and more fun things like cat pictures, gardening / flowers and truck pictures it that's your thing. Hell, I don't really mind the targeted ads. Something I'm interested in, I may check it out. I don't expect social media to replace having a few beers with friends, roadtripping or simply being outside on a warm, sunny day. As of right now, I don't see plunging into the shining world of virtual reality. It creeps me out. Maybe I'll change my mind one day. Don't knock it 'till you try it? Maybe later?
But what you or I want is only a part of the picture. The people who own social media can talk all they want about bringing the world together, freedom of speech or other lofty goals but we live in a Capitalist system where only money matters. They are in it for the money. Anytime those wonderful goals go against creating profits; profits will win out every time. Freedom of speech is cool and all until the lawsuits start to add up. Some kids get bullied to the point of suicide? Just business. Creating millions of addicts? Think of the ad revenue! Skewing elections, disinformation silos and hate speech? How about unlimited growth and record profits! "Show me the motivation and I'll show you the result." When money is the motivator, bad things can happen.
"Be the change you want to see." Social media is what we make it. Post factual, positive and uplifting stuff. Leave the on line arguments behind for in person dialogue. Too many are more interested in "winning" than learning something new. Don't be afraid to use disconnect, block and unfriend features. Make your social media experience educational, informative and fun! Manage your account(s) accordingly.
