Today the term is Trending! WHO decides ‘what Trending is’? WHAT is Trending (definition)? WHY is it Trending? WHERE is it Trending? WHEN did the Trending begin? HOW was Trending determined to be Trending?
Let’s each explore those 5Ws & How . The answers might give insight into some of our beliefs, values and norms that affect our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. Who Decides the News determines our culture and our biases.
Social media is not only creating global communities it is also creating our culture, determining our News. How intentional is this process?
How is this accomplished by social media? The debate about drones makes me wonder how is social media shaping my thoughts and determining what is newsworthy.
Our Failure to Listen and our failure to ask those questions now may lead to diversity with explosive conflicts and without meaningful multi-cultural communication. The latter is necessary for appreciation and understanding of other cultures in a multi-cultural world.
Finally, who is watching as social media selectively selects our content and determines what is Trending?
Our world is global but Who Decides the News?
“Who Decides the News determines our culture, our biases.”
Amen to that! I miss the old ways when delivering the news was just reporting the facts. I’m tired of opinions and trends. Speak the truth, leave out “opinion,” and let me think for myself.
Thank you for the lovely visit this morning, Angela!
I second that Linda. Best, Angela
Excellent food for thought. It is important to point out to people that sometimes the “news” is simply the agendas of either government officials, or faceless, wealthy people who own majority stakes in American corporations. However, I think social media offers a wonderful alternative to traditional news. The masses now have the ability to seek out their own information by interacting with people world-wide, instead of having to believe what the “news shows” tell them. It is just up to people to be motivated enough to seek out that information.
Hi Leigh,
Thanks for your comments and re-blog. I agree with you that social media offers alternative content but is the content what we chose? And who owns social media?
I think that depends on the engagement level of the individual. While large corporations actually own social media, it is individual people that post what they think is important to their accounts. And again, because large corporations own social media, they may have some influence as to what is presented to you on your dashboard as far as what to like, etc. but the consumers of social media still have the option to look at or not look at what is presented to them.
Based on what you are saying, I feel a finer distinction can be made about social media content. Is what we are posting to our accounts really what we think, or what we were led to think via massive barrages of misinformation through various channels? Again, only engaged readers who interact with text, and not just consume it, will be able to make this distinction.
Excellent question: Are our postings reflective of inner self or conformity? Engaged readers can make the distinction; however, the pull of the consuming crowd—the majority–can be great (amounting to peer pressure) resulting in conformity. Within conformity is the promulgation of misinformation and myths…
Conformity, meaning those who accept the status quo without questions, lead many to only read the dashboard and not search for meatier and more relevant content. The more mining and harvesting of personal info and comments by big data/analytics/predictive informatics the more social sites will facilitate big businesses in manipulate consumers.
Social media may have increased the conversations but the jury is out on whether they have converted talkers into doers. Doers make the distinction you speak of by actively seeking out info and engaging with other, IMO.
Good point. In the end, social media is like any other new technological advance in that big business will find ways to make the tool work to their advantage. And those with naturally curious minds can use the tool to their advantage. Everyone else in the middle is left to fend for themselves.
As far as converting talkers into doers, I am not sure that any tool can be capable of making that switch in people, except of course, the tool that sits between the ears of all humans. Maybe this conversation naturally leads back to education. Are we teaching our young people to THINK so that navigating all the propaganda becomes a little easier and as a result, produces citizens who seek out information as opposed to consuming it.
On the dark side, as companies mine for information, these large corporations are getting a sense of whether or not the majority of people are seekers and doers or simply consumers. This can be very dangerous depending on the intention of the large corporation.
The dark side is already here. Large corporations can already anticipate and manipulate our taste, desires, needs and emotions to name a few… As Big Data and predictive informatics become more refined I anticipate more and more things will become necessities and we will be “human zombies.”
I do believe most talkers want to be doers but either don’t know how or are afraid. With coaching talkers could become great Leaders. There is confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy that are unleashed when a weakness becomes a strength with good mentoring.
Yes, it does all boil down to Education, particularly, that of our children. Are we teaching our children to think critically? Based on the studies, NO…based on experience, NO!
Do you focus on coaching talkers to be doers? If not, I think you should. You are very passionate and aware of what is going on in the world and as long as you keep talking, people will listen and be motivated to action.
In fact, this is one of my purposes of starting Learning With Leigh. I want to try to get young people excited about reading and writing and then teach them how to seek out their own information to form their own opinions. I am just starting, and must take baby steps, but I also hope to motivate people to be thinking doers.
Hi Leigh,
That was a very nice compliment, thank you. I am transitioning and like you just starting out. As a physician, I have to convince patients to be compliant…so being a doer and coaching people is or rather was part of my profession.
From our conversations here you also show passion and deep understanding of the culture of our society. Have you figured out how you are going to accomplish your goals through your blog? I am just beginning to develop a plan in that regard. .. Coaching is something I am considering…hmmm…:)
-Angela
Hi Angela,
I would love to continue this conversation in a non-public forum. Can you email me at learningwithleigh@gmail.com so that we can continue the conversation from there?
Sincerely,
Leigh
Often the news is something that is not important to me, the urgent outweighs the important… It is so difficult to filter it all…
Shauna, what is so sad is that many feel the same way… Angela
Reblogged this on Failure to Listen and commented:
Who decides what is news? A post from the past and a question worthy of thought and response. Responses to the question evolves as technology is better appreciated as a tool to acquire knowledge and skills.
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i
subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal.
I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept