diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'content/why_segregated_society.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | content/why_segregated_society.rst | 4 |
1 files changed, 2 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/content/why_segregated_society.rst b/content/why_segregated_society.rst index fc1bae1..2c6c295 100644 --- a/content/why_segregated_society.rst +++ b/content/why_segregated_society.rst @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ :title: Why is our society so segregated? :date: 2016-08-16 23:12 -:modified: 2016-08-22 23:10 +:modified: 2016-08-23 19:00 :tags: society, segregation, Internet, politics, press :category: General :author: Wolfgang Wiedmeyer @@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ There is another amplifying development: The mainstream media is more and more f This behavior of the media boosts the societal segregation. Everyone that keeps in line will have difficulties to form their own opinion due to lack of details and perspectives. Furthermore, she or he is encouraged to not worry and do something about our problems because there are already good people working on solving them. Everyone who comes to different conclusions and wants a discussion is alienated by the hostility. This leads to the many forms of radicalization we see today. People are breaking out of the bubble. But instead of trying to get a more complete world view, they seek a new bubble where everyone has their opinion and detests everyone else that doesn't have their opinion. They are just following the path of least resistance. -I had hoped that the Internet would change something about this. In fact, the group of the well informed seems greater than ever and investigative journalists have numerous sources. Activists have it much easier to organize themselves. But it's also easier than ever to find someone that confirms the craziest claims and biggest lies. Sources are either not checked at all or in a very sloppy way. If someone we know and trust shares a story on social media, then it has to be true and we don't need to read more than the headline. So while the internet fosters knowledge and communication, it also helps to gather people in their own little radical groups and pushes us more apart. Maybe the Internet is just too complex or it still costs too much effort to do proper research on current topics? +I hoped that the Internet would change something about this. In fact, the group of the well informed seems greater than ever and investigative journalists have numerous sources. Activists have it much easier to organize themselves. But it's also easier than ever to find someone that confirms the craziest claims and biggest lies. Sources are either not checked at all or in a very sloppy way. If someone we know and trust shares a story on social media, then it has to be true and we don't need to read more than the headline. So while the internet fosters knowledge and communication, it also helps to gather people in their own little radical groups and pushes us more apart. Maybe the Internet is just too complex or it still costs too much effort to do proper research on current topics? Maybe people need to be taught how to do the research itself and handle the vast amounts of different sources we have today. For sure, lack of time plays a role, too. Besides all the working and self-optimizing we have to do, there are not much time and mental resources left to follow up on what is going on. More political influence for everyone in the sense of direct democracy may also improve the situation, but only if everyone is well educated on the issues and seeks discourse. Otherwise, it will probably lead to more uninformed decisions, more frequent policy changes and more harm to everyone. |