Hi all,
Ms. Colln here. One thing I've been thinking a lot about this summer in relation to our topics has been how easy it is to create a vacuum when it comes to our digital intake. The algorithm on social media sites is meant to cater to our interests and fill our feeds with stuff we've expressed interest in and have previously explored. I mean, think about the Instagram Explore page for example. It's filled with posts similar to accounts you currently follow and posts similar to what you have recently clicked on. (My whole explore page is currently filled with posts about Taylor Swift's Folklore album, by the way. That album! So good, am I right? you don't have to answer; I know I'm right.) With algorithms at work and the majority of people getting their news from social media feed, it's very easy for all our "news" to become the same. All our stories begin to fit into a trend and all our information begins to confirm the ideas we already believe. This is called confirmation bias, and this is how we begin to close our minds.
The vacuum of information has been present on my mind with everything going on this summer in the way of the pandemic and issues of social justice because "cancel culture" and unfollowing those who have different beliefs than you, plays right into this. I think a lot of people are doing this these days because it gets overwhelming to see differences in opinions. It reminds us that things aren't just easy and happy. It forces us to feel. Consider Neil Postman's chapter on "Now ... This" here (Chapter 7). Why are we so inclined to only view "approximately 45 seconds" of an issue? Why do we feel the need to "give our attention to so many fragments of news" rather than really dig into a story and let it move us in some way? This moment we're in as a country is certainly calling attention to both sides of Postman's point, and I for one am here for all of us starting to really talk about it. Why entertain with news? Is anyone else having these thoughts?
I think the reasoning someone would entertain with news is that it could be very profitable and gives a competitive edge against other news broadcasters. As a society where the youth crave media and info, entertainment may draw the attention of many young people. Younger people are just naturally attracted to things that seem exciting or alive which explains why we are also so addicted to social media. I believe the same reason people are attracted to social media is the same reason they are attracted to entertaining news. It's no wonder young people are attracted to broadcasting channels like TMZ who cast the most exciting news such as drama and controversy. Entertainment simply draws lots of attention, and the people crave it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely think this is a big part of the issue, Kyle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. Social media has become for many people the one-stop shop for connection, entertainment, and news. But news delivered in this format is limited to small bites. As Postman discussed it way before social media's rise though, we can assume that there has always been this "small bites" formula of mainstream news. Then when you factor the emergence of reality television into the equation with shows like "Cops" and "Live PD," its clear to see that we have muddled our ability to distinguish the gravity of real incidents by making them entertainment.
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