4 ms·

For all the flaws of social media, it’s bizarre to think back to a time that three television networks essentially controlled all news Sure it’s possible that

For all the flaws of social media, it’s bizarre to think back to a time that three television networks essentially controlled all news Sure it’s possible that social media will never improve, but that’s unlikely. We’ll collectively figure it out

baxtr 4y ago
This. People blame it on social media. But it’s the people not the media they use. I grew up way before the internet. Children on my Highschool were really mean. Many, many bullies were around. Pretty girls talking bad about less pretty girls. And much more. The big difference: we now see it on a different scale and start talking more about it. But the people haven’t changed.
- another_story 4y ago
  Social media as a concept is not to blame, but social media companies and the tactics they use are absolutely to blame.
- namaria 4y ago
  People have been denouncing technological advancement since the alphabet was the cutting edge in information storage.
- bumby 4y ago
  You’re right that any technology is just a tool. But I think the real argument is the asymmetry of the power of the tool compared to our ability to rationally use it. Maybe a bad example is nuclear technology. It can be good or bad, but we recognize that the downside is just too big to allow unfettered access to it.
- walleeee 4y ago
  > it's the people not the media they use This echoes nature vs nurture in psychology and can be debated interminably because the truth is it's not just one or the other, it's both We need to acknowledge the powerful ways our tools influence our behavior, just as we need to recognize and reclaim our own agency in using them. Both these perspectives must coexist if we are to form mature relationships with our technology
- AzzieElbab 4y ago
  Is there really a lot of online bullying among teenagers? Seems weird as it is so easy to turn around, everything is in the open.
  - jstarfish 4y ago
    It's very much a thing, and not at all in the open. Used to be in the open (circa LiveJournal/Tumblr) but everything started moving to closed Instagram circles and the like, particularly messaging apps that allow senders to retract messages or alter any easily-discoverable paper trail. Kids are moving away from SMS and onto Snapchat/Whatsapp for spin control. So bullies become "victims" when they provoke someone, receive a predictable response, then delete the provocative messages they sent (which is deleted on both ends!). The resulting conversation makes it look like the victim is attacking the bully. The bully claims harassment by victim to parents and teachers. Neither subpoenas for records so they accept the bully's story and evidence and punish the real victim.
- hackerlight 4y ago
  That's like blaming mass shootings on only the shooter instead of the tools and laws and social contagion etc that helped to cause and aggravate the situation. Yes people have always been mean. Doesn't mean social media isn't a large amount of gasoline on what used to be a pretty small and localized fire.
agumonkey 4y ago
I'm questionning the 'control' nature of things. Things were slower, people were closer (due to living more locally, and more manual tasks). So 'information' didn't have the same meaning as it tries to have today.
rapind 4y ago
The internet and commodification of news existed before Facebook and co. Social media as a concept is fine. The business model behind all social media is toxic.
lapcat 4y ago
> it’s bizarre to think back to a time that three television networks essentially controlled all news They didn't. The television networks did control all television news, but newspapers were thriving. Indeed, local newspapers were thriving.
- karaterobot 4y ago
  Not to mention magazines and radio. There were many more than three options. Which raises the related question: how many do we need? For a while our assumption was "the more the better," but as it turns out there seems to be a limited number of good journalists in the world, and making them compete with an infinite number of bad ones has resulted in a race to the bottom.
dexterdog 4y ago
And now there are what? Two? One? I can't tell at this point, but three would be a nice choice to have.
tremon 4y ago
It's bizarre because it never happened. In the time of those "three television networks", newspapers still had massive reach, so the networks didn't control as much as you seem to imply.

baxtr 4y ago

This. People blame it on social media. But it’s the people not the media they use. I grew up way before the internet. Children on my Highschool were really mean. Many, many bullies were around. Pretty girls talking bad about less pretty girls. And much more. The big difference: we now see it on a different scale and start talking more about it. But the people haven’t changed.

another_story 4y ago
Social media as a concept is not to blame, but social media companies and the tactics they use are absolutely to blame.
namaria 4y ago
People have been denouncing technological advancement since the alphabet was the cutting edge in information storage.
bumby 4y ago
You’re right that any technology is just a tool. But I think the real argument is the asymmetry of the power of the tool compared to our ability to rationally use it. Maybe a bad example is nuclear technology. It can be good or bad, but we recognize that the downside is just too big to allow unfettered access to it.
walleeee 4y ago
> it's the people not the media they use This echoes nature vs nurture in psychology and can be debated interminably because the truth is it's not just one or the other, it's both We need to acknowledge the powerful ways our tools influence our behavior, just as we need to recognize and reclaim our own agency in using them. Both these perspectives must coexist if we are to form mature relationships with our technology
AzzieElbab 4y ago
Is there really a lot of online bullying among teenagers? Seems weird as it is so easy to turn around, everything is in the open.
- jstarfish 4y ago
  It's very much a thing, and not at all in the open. Used to be in the open (circa LiveJournal/Tumblr) but everything started moving to closed Instagram circles and the like, particularly messaging apps that allow senders to retract messages or alter any easily-discoverable paper trail. Kids are moving away from SMS and onto Snapchat/Whatsapp for spin control. So bullies become "victims" when they provoke someone, receive a predictable response, then delete the provocative messages they sent (which is deleted on both ends!). The resulting conversation makes it look like the victim is attacking the bully. The bully claims harassment by victim to parents and teachers. Neither subpoenas for records so they accept the bully's story and evidence and punish the real victim.
hackerlight 4y ago
That's like blaming mass shootings on only the shooter instead of the tools and laws and social contagion etc that helped to cause and aggravate the situation. Yes people have always been mean. Doesn't mean social media isn't a large amount of gasoline on what used to be a pretty small and localized fire.

agumonkey 4y ago

I'm questionning the 'control' nature of things. Things were slower, people were closer (due to living more locally, and more manual tasks). So 'information' didn't have the same meaning as it tries to have today.

rapind 4y ago

The internet and commodification of news existed before Facebook and co. Social media as a concept is fine. The business model behind all social media is toxic.

lapcat 4y ago

> it’s bizarre to think back to a time that three television networks essentially controlled all news They didn't. The television networks did control all television news, but newspapers were thriving. Indeed, local newspapers were thriving.

karaterobot 4y ago
Not to mention magazines and radio. There were many more than three options. Which raises the related question: how many do we need? For a while our assumption was "the more the better," but as it turns out there seems to be a limited number of good journalists in the world, and making them compete with an infinite number of bad ones has resulted in a race to the bottom.

dexterdog 4y ago

And now there are what? Two? One? I can't tell at this point, but three would be a nice choice to have.

tremon 4y ago

It's bizarre because it never happened. In the time of those "three television networks", newspapers still had massive reach, so the networks didn't control as much as you seem to imply.