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16th February 2018, 09:00 PM | #1 |
Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 209
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The problem with social media
I don’t normally use social media and I rarely have any use for it. However, after checking it again recently it confirmed my fears for a platform where anything can be shared.
Today I went through my Facebook feed and unsurprisingly it was filled with news pages about the recent shooting in Florida. Yet as I was scrolling down I came across no less than 5 Conspiracy related pages and videos but what really caught my attention was the astounding number of times these pages had been shared or viewed. And some were only a few hours old. The problem that I see here is that in a world were we get our news from our FB feed a person could easily come across some Conspiracy crap deceptively disguised as “an asking questions” page or video. So basically a Facebook user can click on a conspiracy theory page thinking it’s a legitimate news report and being baited into believing hoax theories. |
16th February 2018, 09:05 PM | #2 |
Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 209
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This is actually how I came to learn about 9/11 conspiracy theories. I was looking for some information about the crash at the Pentagon and I came accross a video that I thought would give details about flight 77’s crash. It wasn’t until I was even halfway through the video that I realized it was baiting me into believing NO plane crashed at the Pentagon at all.
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16th February 2018, 11:49 PM | #3 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 6,332
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I say it all the time: it should start with critical thinking courses in middle school and high school. It may be the most valuable course students ever take in their lives. It should cover logical fallacies, problem solving, exposing common biases. Make it a requirement to graduate.
My younger brother was born in the U.S. he can run for political office I encourage him to carry the flag for skepticism. |
16th February 2018, 11:56 PM | #4 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 96,386
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17th February 2018, 01:06 AM | #5 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 6,332
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I assumed maybe they didn't have the attention span or brainpower to start thinking about fallacious arguments and stuff.
Then again, we draw lines in our laws all the time that many times don't make complete sense, age to join or train for the military, age when you can drive a 2000 lb wrecking machine, age to drink, etc. |
23rd February 2018, 06:43 AM | #6 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Inland NW
Posts: 4,942
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Normal in a weird way. |
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23rd February 2018, 07:13 AM | #7 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 58,581
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23rd February 2018, 07:27 AM | #8 |
Fiend God
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: In a post-fact world
Posts: 96,875
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23rd February 2018, 07:36 AM | #9 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,950
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The problem with social media is the same problem every human endeavor has: a lot of people are idiots.
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23rd February 2018, 07:38 AM | #10 |
Fiend God
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: In a post-fact world
Posts: 96,875
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23rd February 2018, 11:08 AM | #11 |
Guest
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,627
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I prefer the old days, when idiots were honest and went around saying, "I don't know." Now everybody knows about everything and their opinions can reach millions. The internet - giving idiots a voice since 1991.
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23rd February 2018, 02:14 PM | #12 |
Critical Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 398
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And the internet has ruined my ability to lie to friends over a beer at the local watering hole when trivia questions come up! It literally takes 20 seconds to check my answer, which is unacceptable! I mean get rid of it if it!
Actually, by that example, the internet is keeping some of my idiot friends from continuing to believe my answers and perpetuate their idiocy. Hmmmm.... |
23rd February 2018, 03:57 PM | #13 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: central Illinois
Posts: 39,700
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I suspect you are a sandwich, metaphorically speaking. -Donn And a shot rang out. Now Space is doing time... -Ben Burch You built the toilet - don't complain when people crap in it. _Kid Eager Never underestimate the power of the Random Number God. More of evolutionary history is His doing than people think. - Dinwar |
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23rd February 2018, 06:03 PM | #14 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 4,020
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24th February 2018, 04:29 AM | #15 |
Graduate Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oz
Posts: 1,123
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I dont know if any has noticed, but there has been a massive number of utubers movies and some accounts deleted for pushing conspiracy garbage over the last day or so
Alt-Media Censorship - InfoWars, Richie Allen, Jordan Sather, Ron Johnson, David Seaman gone- Lift the Veil https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=11S2zqSsWRA " I've asked Google to reinstate the channel, but also for the opportunity to download all those 1,400 videos, as I am looking at the possibility of using another video sharing platform." https://www.richieallen.co.uk/google...its-producers/ YouTube Deletes The Richie Allen Show Channel-The Holocaust-Denying Flat Earther https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=arHowpewgNo Woop woop!!!!!! yay!!! |
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It's a kind of a strawman thing in that it's exactly a strawman thing. Loss Leader 'When you're born into this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show. If you're born in America you get a front row seat.' George Carlin |
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26th February 2018, 04:29 PM | #16 |
Graduate Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: All up in your business!
Posts: 1,877
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That's a great idea. Likely never happen for fear they'll lose control over the very students they enlighten. Yet, like you said, it could be one of the most valuable lessons they learn in school. Which is another reason they won't include it.
Idiots who never know how idiot they are. If on Facebook you said "Will all the idiots please stand up?", nobody would stand up. Not because they know they're stupid and just want to stay quiet, they really don't know. And while the Internet has been great at allowing those people too much access to the universe, it's been very crappy at |
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"If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true." - Pedro |
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28th February 2018, 04:27 PM | #17 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Central City, Colorado, USA
Posts: 10,589
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1st March 2018, 11:37 AM | #18 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 60,375
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Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein. |
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1st March 2018, 11:12 PM | #19 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 6,332
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See, my reasoning is that people might be able to relate this type of course to everyday life much, much more intuitively than other subjects. And I imagine they'd absorb the concepts pretty quickly.
Most "pass and forget" courses overwhelm low-attentioned teens with formulas and book chapter to read and do problems on. I think knowledge of what kind of arguments are fallacious and critical decision-making will stick far more easily than algebra or chemistry. |
4th March 2018, 02:20 PM | #20 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 58,581
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The problem with social media is way too much of it is misinformation and lies. Mostly by ******* liars and idiot quoters of same.*
and believers of it...... |
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