I’ve been ostracized and “defriended” by people I love (including close relatives) in the past few weeks. It’s time that this community took social media on “full frontal.” If we do not, we will live out our lives as victims.
Facebook is far younger than most of us realize. And we do not think much about how it works. But there are heavy databases to show that it is far more insidious than positive-thinking progressives imagine.
My personal history:
A month ago a spurious post about Puerto Rico was bounced by tens of thousands. It said: “Fake News: Puerto Rico has plenty of water and power.” I challenge it. Turns out it was a (documented) Russian fake site. The “family” that posted it disappeared in 24 hours. But by that time, enormous hurt and damage.
(Sidebar: Went to AAAS research seminar a year ago. Very well documented studies of how conservatives use social media. They bounce in a private “circle” to reinforce their pre-existing beliefs and prejudices, not to find out anything true or new.)
So this post pops up. I “right click” then “google” and find out the real history of the post. My relatives chastise me for making the bouncer feel bad!
Yesterday a horrible FB post allegedly says that the widow of that slain soldier in Niger supported Trump. It was pulled in a couple hours, but before that enormous hurt! False crap, but it worked to reinforce the GOPER “fake news” crowd.
If you use FB, don’t drop it. Spend your online time profitably; look at the sources of EVERY post you see and challenge it. In the end, we can drive Zuckerberg crazy.
Don’t sit back. ACT. This is a short diary but an important one. Please comment with a link that actually does something, challenges something, or hits a site or advertiser.
We have power.