3 ms·

I'd guess that the 'Foxification' of news definitely plays a role, or even just the deluge of clickbaity news stories that pour into our minds via social media

by mercer 8y ago

I'd guess that the 'Foxification' of news definitely plays a role, or even just the deluge of clickbaity news stories that pour into our minds via social media (and especially the easy that smartphones offer in its consumption). Another thing that I think plays a big role, and is probably related to the smartphone/social media age, is the decreasing amount of interaction with 'others', which increases the fear you describe. I grew up in various multi-ethnic environments, sometimes even as a white minority. It's fascinating (and saddening) to notice to what degree people around me immediately distrust non-whites (other than the ones that for various reasons are non-threatening subgroups). Most of these people try their best not to be racist, and probably think they have little to no prejudice, but it's apparent in all sorts of ways, however small.

Clubber 8y ago
Sure, Fox is a huge fear monger, but the local news is too. "If it bleeds, it leads," is a common phrase to describe what stations use to determine what to present. It's all over, local news, national news, newspapers, news websites, political speeches. Step back and observe this stuff as a scientist analyzing propaganda and you'll be shocked at how many news stories are ultimately trying to scare the reader. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_fear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_fear
- mercer 8y ago
  Oh, absolutely. And it's not just news. I have a strong suspicion that the 'weaponization'/professionalization of marketing/PR/propaganda is at the root of a lot of our problems, whether social self-marketing leading to depression and anxiety, spin-doctors in politics, 'organic' corporate marketing, and the massive amount of self-expression directly linked to the latter. I am uncomfortable with these kinds of statements, because they feel too vague and a bit too Adam Curtis/Gladwellian, and it's extremely frustrating to feel that there's some 'root cause' that I can't quite put my finger on, but I truly believe that David Foster Wallace managed to get closest to the root of the issue, as I see it, in his essay on television (E Unibus Pluram[1]). Despite my discomfort at being able to properly argue for a 'root cause', and my discomfort with the idea of root causes, I can't help but feel we've just gotten too far up our own collective asses when it comes to how we look at the world and interpret it. We have the Petersons of the world blaming 'cultural marxism', the Wallaces blaming irony, and large swathes of otherwise intelligent people wasting their time and creativity on reddit memes that mostly just refer other memes. Maybe this has been what young people have done throughout the ages, and I'm just getting old, but I strongly doubt that. [1]: https://jsomers.net/DFW_TV.pdf https://jsomers.net/DFW_TV.pdf EDIT: mostly I find myself often surprised at how irony, or perhaps some kind of 'recursive perspective' has infused so much of my surroundings. Everyone is skeptical of everything, and yet seems so susceptible to the media-induced panic of the moment. I really don't mean to sound arrogant, but I expect a certain degree of referential humor/perspective from my more academic or pretentious friends, but nowadays it's a central part of even the 'working class' in a way that I feel it wasn't before, or in a way that it isn't in many other cultures I've experienced. Apologies for being a bit ranty. It's been a long day, and recent personal developments have made me yearn for a kind of directness and honesty and non-irony I just don't seem to find in my surroundings.
  - Clubber 8y ago
    Oh you're absolutely right on about the constant marketing; that didn't even occur to me. Think of all the products that try to scare you into buying them. Security systems, Life Lock, Life Alert, car alarms, reverse mortgages, car insurance, life insurance, lawyer's offices, pharmaceuticals, local news commercials, it's everywhere, and that's just the TV. Of course politicians make their living selling fear too, and we have extra long campaign seasons, so that's a good year out of every four of constant fear mongering, over and over. I'm amazed we aren't all nervous wrecks.

by mercer 8y ago

Clubber 8y ago

Sure, Fox is a huge fear monger, but the local news is too. "If it bleeds, it leads," is a common phrase to describe what stations use to determine what to present. It's all over, local news, national news, newspapers, news websites, political speeches. Step back and observe this stuff as a scientist analyzing propaganda and you'll be shocked at how many news stories are ultimately trying to scare the reader. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_fear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_fear

mercer 8y ago
Oh, absolutely. And it's not just news. I have a strong suspicion that the 'weaponization'/professionalization of marketing/PR/propaganda is at the root of a lot of our problems, whether social self-marketing leading to depression and anxiety, spin-doctors in politics, 'organic' corporate marketing, and the massive amount of self-expression directly linked to the latter. I am uncomfortable with these kinds of statements, because they feel too vague and a bit too Adam Curtis/Gladwellian, and it's extremely frustrating to feel that there's some 'root cause' that I can't quite put my finger on, but I truly believe that David Foster Wallace managed to get closest to the root of the issue, as I see it, in his essay on television (E Unibus Pluram[1]). Despite my discomfort at being able to properly argue for a 'root cause', and my discomfort with the idea of root causes, I can't help but feel we've just gotten too far up our own collective asses when it comes to how we look at the world and interpret it. We have the Petersons of the world blaming 'cultural marxism', the Wallaces blaming irony, and large swathes of otherwise intelligent people wasting their time and creativity on reddit memes that mostly just refer other memes. Maybe this has been what young people have done throughout the ages, and I'm just getting old, but I strongly doubt that. [1]: https://jsomers.net/DFW_TV.pdf https://jsomers.net/DFW_TV.pdf EDIT: mostly I find myself often surprised at how irony, or perhaps some kind of 'recursive perspective' has infused so much of my surroundings. Everyone is skeptical of everything, and yet seems so susceptible to the media-induced panic of the moment. I really don't mean to sound arrogant, but I expect a certain degree of referential humor/perspective from my more academic or pretentious friends, but nowadays it's a central part of even the 'working class' in a way that I feel it wasn't before, or in a way that it isn't in many other cultures I've experienced. Apologies for being a bit ranty. It's been a long day, and recent personal developments have made me yearn for a kind of directness and honesty and non-irony I just don't seem to find in my surroundings.
- Clubber 8y ago
  Oh you're absolutely right on about the constant marketing; that didn't even occur to me. Think of all the products that try to scare you into buying them. Security systems, Life Lock, Life Alert, car alarms, reverse mortgages, car insurance, life insurance, lawyer's offices, pharmaceuticals, local news commercials, it's everywhere, and that's just the TV. Of course politicians make their living selling fear too, and we have extra long campaign seasons, so that's a good year out of every four of constant fear mongering, over and over. I'm amazed we aren't all nervous wrecks.