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Disclaimer: Meta employee but speaking only for myself. I like to think of media to the brain like food to the body. Most of us don't have the resources to ga

Disclaimer: Meta employee but speaking only for myself. I like to think of media to the brain like food to the body. Most of us don't have the resources to gather our own raw news/info so we outsource this to others, just like most of us don't grow our own food but outsource to others. Good stimulating media is mentally nourishing like good food is physically nourishing. But a lot of the media out there, social and otherwise is junk. Like junk food, occasionally good for fun but not a constant diet. Many know how to evaluate the healthiness of food. But many don't have the critical thinking and evaluation skills needed to evaluate the healthiness of media and to ensure a "balanced diet", and developing or teaching these skills something we should be doing more of.

awsrocks 4y ago
algoatecorn 4y ago
I hear ya, and use the same analogy myself when talking about media, specifically social media. But quantity of media consumed doesn't necessarily make it junk. The quality makes it junk. An athlete needs a lot of calories and tend to obtain those calories from high quality sources. A business executive needs a lot of information. A principal investigator needs a lot of information. Both tend to obtain high quality information. The problem I have with social media compared to other forms, is the slew of low (very low) quality of information. This junk info isn't just present - it is directed towards individuals for the sake of increased user interaction. The revenue model of social media requires gluttony, and its easiest to overindulge on junk. As for the "many people" aspect... That's very subjective and in the context of social media junk food, it is far too many. A balanced media diet, in my opinion, is composed of very little social media.
- United857 4y ago
  Yes, fully agreed, it's about the quality not quantity. I realized my wording was ambiguous and have since clarified my comment to disambiguate that. And yes it's impossible to be substantial in a meme or short video or tweet. Like fast food -- the medium is inherently limiting.
jjulius 4y ago
>But many don't have the critical thinking and evaluation skills needed to evaluate the healthiness of media and to ensure a "balanced diet", and developing or teaching these skills something we should be doing more of. It sure doesn't help when it's not in the interest of junk food and social media companies (I'm looking at your employer) to engage in these practices. That sentiment is in stark contrast of the need to convince people to use a product, and then keep them hooked once they're in/eating.
CharlesW 4y ago
> Like junk food, occasionally good for fun but not a constant diet. I think that's correct, but in this case Facebook is McDonald's. It's possible to "eat" reasonably well at each, but it's very difficult to go to either multiple times a day and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

awsrocks 4y ago

algoatecorn 4y ago

I hear ya, and use the same analogy myself when talking about media, specifically social media. But quantity of media consumed doesn't necessarily make it junk. The quality makes it junk. An athlete needs a lot of calories and tend to obtain those calories from high quality sources. A business executive needs a lot of information. A principal investigator needs a lot of information. Both tend to obtain high quality information. The problem I have with social media compared to other forms, is the slew of low (very low) quality of information. This junk info isn't just present - it is directed towards individuals for the sake of increased user interaction. The revenue model of social media requires gluttony, and its easiest to overindulge on junk. As for the "many people" aspect... That's very subjective and in the context of social media junk food, it is far too many. A balanced media diet, in my opinion, is composed of very little social media.

United857 4y ago
Yes, fully agreed, it's about the quality not quantity. I realized my wording was ambiguous and have since clarified my comment to disambiguate that. And yes it's impossible to be substantial in a meme or short video or tweet. Like fast food -- the medium is inherently limiting.

jjulius 4y ago

>But many don't have the critical thinking and evaluation skills needed to evaluate the healthiness of media and to ensure a "balanced diet", and developing or teaching these skills something we should be doing more of. It sure doesn't help when it's not in the interest of junk food and social media companies (I'm looking at your employer) to engage in these practices. That sentiment is in stark contrast of the need to convince people to use a product, and then keep them hooked once they're in/eating.

CharlesW 4y ago

> Like junk food, occasionally good for fun but not a constant diet. I think that's correct, but in this case Facebook is McDonald's. It's possible to "eat" reasonably well at each, but it's very difficult to go to either multiple times a day and maintain a healthy lifestyle.