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From the media. Even if there's nothing objectively bad to worry about, the media is compelled to find something that people would rather watch than other chan

From the media. Even if there's nothing objectively bad to worry about, the media is compelled to find something that people would rather watch than other channels. They "spin" things or invent them wholesale, just to maintain their paychecks. We have it better than ever before in basically everything. But the media can't just report that, they have to find things that "need" improving and present them as dire straits. Children, since they haven't learned to filter it out yet, feel that as soul-crushing dread. And since it's nothing they can do anything about, they feel helpless.

KerrAvon 2y ago
That’s not the whole picture. Most of western civilization is in severe danger of collapsing into fascist dictatorships or being taken over by same, egged on by truly deranged billionaires who somehow don’t think it will negatively affect them. Antivax hysteria is bringing back mid-20th century disease. Climate change appears to be accelerating on the worst-case side. Militarized police departments. Racial injustice has always been with us in the USA, but now it’s been made visible to everyone, and it’s very clear that some people — who were supposed to be the good guys — not only don’t care, but actively support it. Multiple state governments are now encouraging book banning and child labor. Do we need to mention women’s healthcare? And you, old person, are saying “you have it better than I had it in 1970’s jfc” — that’s true for some values of “you” and “I”, but you’re completely missing the point.
beepbooptheory 2y ago
If the economy is so strong, why does the media need to resort to such desperate measures for attention? Like, shouldn't they also be reaping profits and such from the healthy economy, and as such not have to be forced into this grubby practice of manufacturing dissatisfaction?
- fincycaden 2y ago
  What a strange argument. No matter the economical situation, companies will still want to maximize profits. In the case of the media, drawing the most attention, which results in depressing doomsaying, regardless of reality
  - beepbooptheory 2y ago
    So are you saying that, no matter what, the media will always have this tendency? Like we are doomed as humanity to be forever ill informed and drawn towards pessimism? If that is so, then why even complain or feel bad about this stuff? Like all this discourse feels pretty futile if you don't even believe a different state of affairs is possible...
    - wccrawford 2y ago
      It will have that tendency, unless something else corrects for that behavior, such as people constantly calling them out on it. Crime will always exist, too, but we don't stop fighting that, either. It's part of life that we fight against bad things, even if we can't possibly eliminate that bad thing permanently. On the brighter side of things, the internet has provided people to more information than ever before, and cell phones have put that information in their pocket. People can and do look up things all the time and inform themselves.
      - beepbooptheory 2y ago
        If you truly believe this is the situation, I just don't understand how you can also think that constantly calling them out does anything at all. Its not doing much right now at least. All you end up doing from this point of view is reinforce the very pessimism you are arguing against by posing this entire aspect of our society as forever broken Also, is it not "the media" anymore when I inform myself on the internet? Where is the line there?

KerrAvon 2y ago

That’s not the whole picture. Most of western civilization is in severe danger of collapsing into fascist dictatorships or being taken over by same, egged on by truly deranged billionaires who somehow don’t think it will negatively affect them. Antivax hysteria is bringing back mid-20th century disease. Climate change appears to be accelerating on the worst-case side. Militarized police departments. Racial injustice has always been with us in the USA, but now it’s been made visible to everyone, and it’s very clear that some people — who were supposed to be the good guys — not only don’t care, but actively support it. Multiple state governments are now encouraging book banning and child labor. Do we need to mention women’s healthcare? And you, old person, are saying “you have it better than I had it in 1970’s jfc” — that’s true for some values of “you” and “I”, but you’re completely missing the point.

beepbooptheory 2y ago

If the economy is so strong, why does the media need to resort to such desperate measures for attention? Like, shouldn't they also be reaping profits and such from the healthy economy, and as such not have to be forced into this grubby practice of manufacturing dissatisfaction?

fincycaden 2y ago
What a strange argument. No matter the economical situation, companies will still want to maximize profits. In the case of the media, drawing the most attention, which results in depressing doomsaying, regardless of reality
- beepbooptheory 2y ago
  So are you saying that, no matter what, the media will always have this tendency? Like we are doomed as humanity to be forever ill informed and drawn towards pessimism? If that is so, then why even complain or feel bad about this stuff? Like all this discourse feels pretty futile if you don't even believe a different state of affairs is possible...
  - wccrawford 2y ago
    It will have that tendency, unless something else corrects for that behavior, such as people constantly calling them out on it. Crime will always exist, too, but we don't stop fighting that, either. It's part of life that we fight against bad things, even if we can't possibly eliminate that bad thing permanently. On the brighter side of things, the internet has provided people to more information than ever before, and cell phones have put that information in their pocket. People can and do look up things all the time and inform themselves.
    - beepbooptheory 2y ago
      If you truly believe this is the situation, I just don't understand how you can also think that constantly calling them out does anything at all. Its not doing much right now at least. All you end up doing from this point of view is reinforce the very pessimism you are arguing against by posing this entire aspect of our society as forever broken Also, is it not "the media" anymore when I inform myself on the internet? Where is the line there?