The dangers of social media

[SUPERPOKES]

Does anyone else feel like the use of social media is getting more and more dangerous? Social media has helped to fuel people rushing to judgement in so many things that have made national and even worldwide news in just the last few weeks. You can even make an argument that it helped to fuel the shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

The incident involving Ezekiel Elliott and his ex making accusations on Instagram is just another example. Social media also makes in possible to quickly call for some sort of insurgency, such as what happened in Turkey last week. If you have a cause that a lot of people support, you literally could start a large protest in hours or a movement in just a few days. I unfortunately think we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

As a journalism/broadcasting graduate, we were taught to "get it first, but first get it right." While that's a key media axiom to follow, social media has no guidelines. Say/show what you want, and if it's sensational enough, there's a good chance that it could go viral.

By the way, the other key media axiom that we were taught at the Paul Miller Journalism and Broadcasting Building was this: "No news is bad news; good news is bad news; bad news is good news." Lord knows we've seen this play out lately.

 

[MegaPoke]

I've got a lot to say about this but it'll take awhile.

Short version is that the Paull Miller style journalism is effectively dead. In its place you have corporatist news "analysis" and slanted reports, but you also have the Internet and social media where free speech reigns. It's the Wild West and you have to make an effort but the truth is out there in real time and is the only thing that holds the networks remotely responsible.

Yes it's dangerous but if you value the first amendment, you should pray nothing happens to make it safer - other than to make it harder for stalker types to use aliases.

 

[MegaPoke]

I would also say the "legit" media did way more to fuel the fire of racial problems with the shootings.

The problem is not social media. The problem is corporate media. We are forced for the most part to choose between shills for the D's or R's. And the Chris Mathews and Sean Hanittys of the world are what we get.

It fuels tribalism and team politics.

 

[ThorOdinson13]

Just wait until September, the media is going to get ugly. Especially if Hillary is still struggling against Trump. If he's leading, it will get atrocious. If he wins, civil unrest and the media will share a large part of the blame

 

[CBradSmith]

Yes.

And by yes, I mean maybe the idea of there being some accountability isn't a bad thing.

 

[SUPERPOKES]

I've got a lot to say about this but it'll take awhile.

Short version is that the Paull Miller style journalism is effectively dead.

I assume that you mean the Sgt. Friday version of journalism: just the facts. Boy, you got that right, Mega. Opinion and slant make up most stories nowadays. And as Egon said in Ghostbusters, "print is dead."

It also sounds like you might have logged more than a few hours in the PM building, Mega. Am I correct?

 

[MegaPoke]

I assume that you mean the Sgt. Friday version of journalism: just the facts. Boy, you got that right, Mega. Opinion and slant make up most stories nowadays. And as Egon said in Ghostbusters, "print is dead."

It also sounds like you might have logged more than a few hours in the PM building, Mega. Am I correct?

You are. My OSU degree is a BS in journalism (public relations).

 

[CowboyJD]

Social media has some dangers, sure. It's also been a powerful tool for truth and freedom.

Lately, i've found myself headed to periscope whenever there is a newsworthy event...most recently Nice and the Turkish Coup attempt. They map their live streaming broadcasts in real time. You can get raw footage from folks on the ground directly. That is damned powerful. There is a recent that one of the first thing repressive regimes do when the come into power is restrict internet access.

 

[SUPERPOKES]

Interestingly, this topic was the top headline on the front page of the Dallas Morning News today. My students already half-kiddingly think I know someone at the DMN because what I talk about in class during their History lessons often coincidentally appears in the paper just days after talking about it in class.

 

[davidallen]

I've got a lot to say about this but it'll take awhile.

Short version is that the Paull Miller style journalism is effectively dead. In its place you have corporatist news "analysis" and slanted reports, but you also have the Internet and social media where free speech reigns. It's the Wild West and you have to make an effort but the truth is out there in real time and is the only thing that holds the networks remotely responsible.

Yes it's dangerous but if you value the first amendment, you should pray nothing happens to make it safer - other than to make it harder for stalker types to use aliases.

My ONLY disagreement with you here is believing that social media is where free speech reigns. Social Media is where targeted advertising reigns. Your right to free speech doesn't exist on FB, Twitter, or the Insta - your and your followers monetized eyeballs are all that exist.

We have some of our greatest minds spending their days trying to figure out how to hold your attention for 10 minutes more per day - that is their moon shot project.... and yes I am guilty in a contributory kind of way to this. Regardless, don't conflate social media and Free Speech!

 

[CBradSmith]

We have some of our greatest minds spending their days trying to figure out how to hold your attention for 10 minutes more per day - that is their moon shot project.... and yes I am guilty in a contributory kind of way to this. Regardless, don't conflate social media and Free Speech!

They don't even have to be the smartest minds. That information is easily attainable for even an average statistician and the information facebook has readily available.

 

[davidallen]

They don't even have to be the smartest minds. That information is easily attainable for even an average statistician and the information facebook has readily available.

We are well beyond mere stat analysis. The algorithms and machine learning in use today blows it away in its predictive capabilities, very bullish on AI right now - have some good stuff going there, but that the state of the art right now is all about advertising kind of makes me sad...