As I scrolled down my page on Facebook, or is it a timeline I don't know the difference, I couldn't help but notice all the fabricated stories. These stories aren't from my friends but from the various news agencies and such that post. Some are just so obvious I have to laugh. It reminds me of standing in line at the grocery store and reading the headlines on the National Enquirer. Eighty five year old great grandmother gives birth! And then I notice this stuff is being posted by the New York Times. Well okay maybe not that extreme, but some come close. CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC and a few others are not much better. It's almost like it's a competition to see you can fool the greatest number of people into believing this stuff. To say it is difficult to find a trusted news source is an understatement. It all depends upon your political bent. We read it, we hear about it and we digest it everyday, fake news! It's a real issue. They call it fake news but really what it is lies, just straight out lies. It's not even a personal opinion, it's just a straight out fabrication to attract readers. What the common man labels as Bullshi*.
I can't help but wonder where some people get the crazy ideas that they do. Take someone like Alexandria Occasio- Cortez as an example.Some of what she proposes comes straight out of fantasy land. Surely she doesn't expect anyone to take her seriously, does she? No more airplanes, we will build a bridge to Europe! And we will travel there in electric cars. Yeah, I can see that happening. Yet she was elected! Elected by whom? Surely it wasn't an informed electorate, at least an electorate in the real world anyway. Just what newspaper and news outlets were they listening to? But then I scrolled down Facebook and saw it. Mass misinformation twenty four seven and surely that is affecting these folks. I understand that the younger folks don't use Facebook that much, it is a platform for us old people but I suspect the same thing is happening across all avenues of social media. I don't tweet but from what I've heard of twitter it's a real hotbed of misinformation. Or at the very least a tirade of opinions from some very famous people. We tend to listen to famous people for reasons not fully explainable. I mean why agree with a singer about a political opinion, or a athlete about the world economy? But it has always been that way, that much isn't new. What is new is the immediate availability of those opinions.
Yes there are those that subscribe to certain news outlets as reliable. Those that believe the New York Times publishes nothing but unbiased, truthful articles backed by hours of research. Their reputation is beyond reproach. But is it? I don't think that is the case anymore, I do think a great number of people take exception with the Times these days. I also believe they are justified in doing so. Journalistic integrity has been tossed aside in favor of circulation. The object being to keep the paper alive as long as possible. Problem being, it's a dinosaur. No longer does the Newspaper hold the prestigious spot in distributing information that it did. That goes for all newspapers, not just the Times. Now a person may hear the view of five or six newspapers within an hour of each other. They may also hear five or six different versions of the same story. I'm beginning to believe it is all just too much, it's doing nothing but causing confusion.
What bothers me is that I'm wondering about the next generation. I'm thinking they are going to have serious trust issues growing up. When you can't believe what you read or hear 90% of the time I can see no other result. Is that why we are seeing some of the things we are? Is that why people are starting to believe misinformation? If you can't determine the truth what else can you expect? A woman is pregnant. Is she going to have a baby? That depends doesn't it? Isn't that what some people believe today? If she chooses, she won't. If she doesn't make a choice, she will. Truth is, she will if she chooses not to kill the baby first but the misinformation is, it's a choice. I'm a male, I can tell that by the construction of my body, I look down, yup, I'm a boy. But I don't feel like a boy so I decide I'll be a girl because I know what girls feel like, even though I'm a boy. I must be a transgender! Truth is a transgender person is a person that is confused about what gender they are and they are trying to change that. They can't. You can't rearrange your DNA, those chromosomes are what they are! I'm thinking the next generation is in for a rude awakening one day! One day they are going to find out the truth. At least I hope they do.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
I can't help but wonder where some people get the crazy ideas that they do. Take someone like Alexandria Occasio- Cortez as an example.Some of what she proposes comes straight out of fantasy land. Surely she doesn't expect anyone to take her seriously, does she? No more airplanes, we will build a bridge to Europe! And we will travel there in electric cars. Yeah, I can see that happening. Yet she was elected! Elected by whom? Surely it wasn't an informed electorate, at least an electorate in the real world anyway. Just what newspaper and news outlets were they listening to? But then I scrolled down Facebook and saw it. Mass misinformation twenty four seven and surely that is affecting these folks. I understand that the younger folks don't use Facebook that much, it is a platform for us old people but I suspect the same thing is happening across all avenues of social media. I don't tweet but from what I've heard of twitter it's a real hotbed of misinformation. Or at the very least a tirade of opinions from some very famous people. We tend to listen to famous people for reasons not fully explainable. I mean why agree with a singer about a political opinion, or a athlete about the world economy? But it has always been that way, that much isn't new. What is new is the immediate availability of those opinions.
Yes there are those that subscribe to certain news outlets as reliable. Those that believe the New York Times publishes nothing but unbiased, truthful articles backed by hours of research. Their reputation is beyond reproach. But is it? I don't think that is the case anymore, I do think a great number of people take exception with the Times these days. I also believe they are justified in doing so. Journalistic integrity has been tossed aside in favor of circulation. The object being to keep the paper alive as long as possible. Problem being, it's a dinosaur. No longer does the Newspaper hold the prestigious spot in distributing information that it did. That goes for all newspapers, not just the Times. Now a person may hear the view of five or six newspapers within an hour of each other. They may also hear five or six different versions of the same story. I'm beginning to believe it is all just too much, it's doing nothing but causing confusion.
What bothers me is that I'm wondering about the next generation. I'm thinking they are going to have serious trust issues growing up. When you can't believe what you read or hear 90% of the time I can see no other result. Is that why we are seeing some of the things we are? Is that why people are starting to believe misinformation? If you can't determine the truth what else can you expect? A woman is pregnant. Is she going to have a baby? That depends doesn't it? Isn't that what some people believe today? If she chooses, she won't. If she doesn't make a choice, she will. Truth is, she will if she chooses not to kill the baby first but the misinformation is, it's a choice. I'm a male, I can tell that by the construction of my body, I look down, yup, I'm a boy. But I don't feel like a boy so I decide I'll be a girl because I know what girls feel like, even though I'm a boy. I must be a transgender! Truth is a transgender person is a person that is confused about what gender they are and they are trying to change that. They can't. You can't rearrange your DNA, those chromosomes are what they are! I'm thinking the next generation is in for a rude awakening one day! One day they are going to find out the truth. At least I hope they do.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
I'm thinking Bob Dylan was onto something when he wrote those lyrics. Maybe he did sell his soul to the devil! I question though if it is the times that are a chagin' or is it the people? People adapt to the society in which they live. Conversely people change the society. Could be we are all getting just a little too comfortable and that's why we changed the rules. Eliminate the truth and just go on feelings. If it feels good, do it! That's the modern philosophy.
No comments:
Post a Comment