3 ms·

> The proportion of what media dedicates time to (this includes social media) is not proportional to how often those things happen. In fact, it's often the oppo

> The proportion of what media dedicates time to (this includes social media) is not proportional to how often those things happen. In fact, it's often the opposite. Sensational, rare and objectionable things get disproportionate coverage. That's historically been the case when it comes to mainstream media and often used to dismiss claims of excessive force by police as exceptional. However with social media we can see that it's not an isolate or exceptional thing but rather a common every day occurrence. Though I've never been arrested or accosted by the police, I have been on the receiving end of their abuse of power many times in my life. I know first hand that the police and legal system abuse their power to penalize individuals who do not offer full compliance and blindly accept their asserted authority.

rednerrus 5y ago
This is the definition of anecdotal evidence.
- syki 5y ago
  In the face of anecdotal evidence to support an assertion you don’t believe what do you do? Do you provide evidence that the anecdotes are inconsequential? Do you do your own research and look up studies by criminologists and others? Or do you just say “show me the evidence”? Isn’t it worth at least a little bit of effort to see if there is a policing problem? https://www.law.virginia.edu/system/files/faculty/hein/armacost/72geo_wash_l_rev453_2004.pdf https://www.law.virginia.edu/system/files/faculty/hein/armac...
- cptskippy 5y ago
  Yes, my anecdotal experiences have biased me. And based on the abundance of reports on social media and the repeated failure by law enforcement to report on or provide any evidence to the contrary, I'm inclined to believe my experiences aren't isolated and that the experiences on social media aren't isolated but rather the tip of the iceberg.
  - rednerrus 5y ago
    Does this apply to people who use the same logic for things like not getting the vaccine?
parineum 5y ago
> However with social media we can see that it's not an isolate or exceptional thing but rather a common every day occurrence. I don't see that we can call it a "common, every day occurrence". We have no idea if it's common, that's what the database was/is for. Because of the amount of interactions, excessive force incidents could be and exceptional, every day occurrence. We simply have no idea. Social media hasn't clarified anything about the _rates_ of the incidents, it's only allowed insight into specific incidents that probably would have been swept under the rug in the past.

rednerrus 5y ago

This is the definition of anecdotal evidence.

syki 5y ago
In the face of anecdotal evidence to support an assertion you don’t believe what do you do? Do you provide evidence that the anecdotes are inconsequential? Do you do your own research and look up studies by criminologists and others? Or do you just say “show me the evidence”? Isn’t it worth at least a little bit of effort to see if there is a policing problem? https://www.law.virginia.edu/system/files/faculty/hein/armacost/72geo_wash_l_rev453_2004.pdf https://www.law.virginia.edu/system/files/faculty/hein/armac...
cptskippy 5y ago
Yes, my anecdotal experiences have biased me. And based on the abundance of reports on social media and the repeated failure by law enforcement to report on or provide any evidence to the contrary, I'm inclined to believe my experiences aren't isolated and that the experiences on social media aren't isolated but rather the tip of the iceberg.
- rednerrus 5y ago
  Does this apply to people who use the same logic for things like not getting the vaccine?

parineum 5y ago

> However with social media we can see that it's not an isolate or exceptional thing but rather a common every day occurrence. I don't see that we can call it a "common, every day occurrence". We have no idea if it's common, that's what the database was/is for. Because of the amount of interactions, excessive force incidents could be and exceptional, every day occurrence. We simply have no idea. Social media hasn't clarified anything about the _rates_ of the incidents, it's only allowed insight into specific incidents that probably would have been swept under the rug in the past.