Think about it: The death of expertise in the age of information. Why do we trust influencers over scientists? All thoughts welcome on the erosion of reliable authority and its implications for society. #InformationLiteracy
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Bc it’s easier. Science requires time to focus and understand; it requires critical thinking. Listening to an influencer is like shooting the breeze. No effort.
Perhaps with an ever increasing and constant amount of readily accessible content. People are suffering from information overload. To cope, people are more likely to be influenced, due to the less effort involved, than engage with deeper understanding. Just a thought.
I still don't understand how anyone could say with a straight face during a serious debate his "eating the pets" speech. How could someone with that much responsibility even look to sources supplying that garbage, unless he knew it was only to scapegoat a vulnerable segment of the population.
They explained it at the time: We don’t care how untruthful or ridiculous it is because it works politically. Also see: We don’t care whether they’re here legally, we’re going to consider them illegals anyway. And they seem to have been right about the politics, so…
“Erosion” sounds as if it was passive. It wasn’t. It was deliberate. Destroying respect for expertise is critical to controlling narrative and thus controlling people. See climate change, COVID vaccines, critical race theory, etc. Return of Fairness Doctrine would help a bit. That’s just a start.
The Fairness Doctrine encouraged the erosion of respect for expertise by requiring broadcast stations provide time for diverse viewpoints on matters of public interest no matter how wackadoo the diverse viewpoints were.
In theory, yes. In practice, it led to a more informed electorate. Unlike today, where broadcast networks like Sinclair that dominate markets spew right wing propaganda regularly with viewers rarely getting an understanding of the other side of the argument.
The Fairness Doctrine required diverse viewpoints - opinions.
It had nothing to do with what news was covered or how.
Most Sinclair stations still have programs such as Good Morning America or the Today Show - which would meet the requirements of the Fairness Doctrine.
Because MAGA, Fox News, & Elon have doubled down on misinformation. They have purposefully stoked distrust in the experts & have played into conspiracy theories & confirmation bias. These hateful people are seriously killing our country 🤬
There is an awful lot of crap research and bullshit studies and too much we created enough a data but call it evidence based to hold up in court but hardly rising to level that one may reasonably presume underlies the exercise of professional judgment and that kind of thing may be some part of it.
Critical thinking skills are deteriorating. Education is devalued and now painted as a character fault. With critical thinking comes self awareness andaccountability for our lot in life- that apparently is too overwhelming for some who would rather just cop out and just blame the other guy,my2 cents
My generation (X) grew up being told to trust information sources. Encyclopedias, TV news anchors, and publishers were incredibly-selective. Talk radio was the only semi-sketchy info source, and it was still largely accepted.
Then we grew up and every jackass can now publish or broadcast.
Lack of a liberal arts education. Most people go to college to learn how to make money in a career. They don’t take economics, history, biology, anthropology courses and the like. Lack of respect for critical thinking.
Isaac Asimov called it out the anti-intellectualism in the US years ago and how too many believe that their ignorance is on the same level as someone's knowledge.
And John, you should get your account verified so that we know when you post you are not an imposter. Hunter Walker does it, once you subscribe to his list, a labeler program runs and all the thousands and thousands of subscribers see an icon under your name. You do not see it if you don't subscribe
One journalist wrote after 2 weeks on Blue Sky and getting Hunter Walker Verified he has more followers on Blue Sky than he had on Twitter, I think it was 200k he has on Blue Sky. See thousands and thousands of people subscribe to Hunters list, so they all end up following you once he verifies you
I'm going to blame the educational system. It's not only science, but the lack of understanding of how the government works is shocking. And don't get me started on history!
Propaganda works, John.
That's why the billionaires have bought 90% of the media.
They want to distract and distort, so people will not hold them accountable for the damage they do.
Time we act as though we loved our grandchildren.
We have to build an independent information network.
Sure thing. But I think it kind of reinforces your point in a way. Fox News was just the weird far right wing of a media empire that put out “woke” sitcoms, movies, and TV shows until 2017-2019. Now it’s a full time hate factory.
Your book Conservatives without a Conscience was phenomenal. I always thought of it as the Mei. Kamph of the Republican Party! Sadly after reading it I was able to predict everything they would do. My friends thought I was Casandra
Started in the 90s when boys took over software & decided that they & only they knew anything, & they were going to pretend they created everything with 0 help ever. They have been practicing that marketing grift & killing anyone who knows better ever since.
In my view, that decline began with the elimination of debate and civics as required school subjects and was exacerbated by the adage, "don't talk politics or religion" at the table or in polite society. No skills. No practice.
We are tribal/in silos.Amy Chua&other books on this.Thinking Fast and Slow has clues. Trump discredited main stream media. MAGA folks feel talked down to by experts&educated "elites" who now are Dems. We don't have Walter Cronkite but multi sources. Critical thinking/education not taught. Anger.
The age of information, presented by ...........
There is your answer, our media gives us the best information money can buy.
And, as far as influencers, as Jimmy Dore would say, do your own research.
You are part of my research. Thanks.
So much of the information on the internet is distilled into plain English in order to be user friendly. An unintended consequence is that people think they fully understand complex issues.
It all goes back to polarization stemming from the gop and dem leaders in the House and senate Their examples of in fighting and belligerence and not getting anything done has radiated down i all aspects of our society to the point where nobody believes science The other problem is the media
By we, do you mean people under 50? The younger a person is the more they trust influencers because they grew up with social media. People my age and older did not grow up with social media so we still trust science.
Influencers are easy and enjoyable digestion methods, even understanding an expert often takes work and time. Hip soundbites and easy packages rule the day- memes, tiktok, etc.
That would definitely be enlightening, wouldn't it. I surely can't figure it out. I still haven't figured out how Kardashians are so famous. What on earth does society value anymore?
@johnwdean.bsky.social — this brilliant documentary about the rise of QAnon and its relationship to the Flat Earth movement is an essential primer on American 🇺🇸 politics and also answers the question.
Don’t miss the end. 🌏 🌍 🌎 https://youtu.be/JTfhYyTuT44?si=a7dBz2BF00JiAA3q
Why do so many people want to be influenced by someone they’ve never met who may turn them off in person? I want to be me, not a weaker version of somebody else.
The day Dr. Fauci has to have a blanket pardon from an outgoing president to protect him from an incoming administration, we know our society is in trouble.
Agree. Too many are taught only about how they can get good at “playing the game” rather than considering legitimate questions as to whether they should be “playing the game” at all.
I think about this a lot, having lost friends since 2020 as they fell down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. Reasonably intelligent people, or so I’d thought. I don’t recognize them anymore.
The death of science when science is at its peak and surging. Extraordinary times. A dichotomous world between education and idiocy. Perhaps it has always been so. The difference is everyone has a voice now.
Because with social media there is no filter between the crazy and the public. It’s true that old media often censored valuable and thoughtful analysis. But they also kept the crazies at bay. With social media, whatever is most insane wins the algorithm.
Galileo was no idiot. Only an idiot could believe that science requires martyrdom — that may be necessary in religion, but in time a scientific result will establish itself.
-David Hilbert
Why did the Israelites abandon their God to worship a golden calf? There is something psychologically twisted about choosing a useless object that is sparkly and shiny instead of one less physically attractive that can actually do you some good!
Influencers 1) confirm listeners' beliefs, 2) offer listeners a sense of a community, 3) suggest actions that increase a sense of control. Experts, in contrast, 1) offer nuanced, caveated evaluations, 2) are seen as elite, and 3) can make listeners feel uninformed and less in control.
This crosses into all vocations at this point. Bias is a powerful force. No matter how wrong a concept is, there's someone online who agrees with you. Dunning-Kruger laid it all out. Once you discover that genuine flat Earthers exist, it's hard to see a bottom.
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It had nothing to do with what news was covered or how.
Most Sinclair stations still have programs such as Good Morning America or the Today Show - which would meet the requirements of the Fairness Doctrine.
You only get one chance.
We are not giving it to them.
Then we grew up and every jackass can now publish or broadcast.
https://bsky.app/profile/hunterw.bsky.social/post/3lcftmj3wkc2k
That's why the billionaires have bought 90% of the media.
They want to distract and distort, so people will not hold them accountable for the damage they do.
Time we act as though we loved our grandchildren.
We have to build an independent information network.
Hence term limits to kill memory.
Public Intelectual -> Pundit -> influencer.
And it deeply annoys me.
Whoops, looks like we're back to the days of them catching rounds in the street.
https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/analysis/threat-of-educated-proletariat-created-the-student-debt-crisis/
There is your answer, our media gives us the best information money can buy.
And, as far as influencers, as Jimmy Dore would say, do your own research.
You are part of my research. Thanks.
It's easier to just let some dipshit give you simple answers without wasting your time by explaining anything.
Don’t miss the end. 🌏 🌍 🌎
https://youtu.be/JTfhYyTuT44?si=a7dBz2BF00JiAA3q
-David Hilbert