Are we being trained to be outraged?

I don't know about social media making me more outraged, since the only social media I use is online forums such as SF, but reading the news and history books does the job pretty well. The more I learn about what people are capable of, the more of a misanthrope I become. Actually, I don't get outraged any more. Now I just expect the worst out of people and am pleasantly surprised when something good happens.
 

Social Media be Dam.. You know, when I think about it I don't do social media at all unless you say that this senior page is social media then I guess I do this. However, this ole' Packer, he don't do Facebook and he don't Twitter. Another thing, I'm 75 so it's pretty darn hard to twist my mind. I think I know what is right and I think I know what is wrong; pretty well most of the time. Right now, I have been sometime here traveling British Columbia so no one has twisted my mind. I love to stop and chat with people that are more/less my age that I find in rest areas. They are pretty good for "shooting the bull" and I reckon I ain't bad myself. For example, I met these two 72 year old guys at a rest area today as I was leaving the Okanagan area. Both of them are pretty well sure that Trudeau is pretty soon gonna be history. By the way, pardon my English. I used to teach high school English so I love to "experiment" with the "Queen's English."
 
i think social media, particularly in the form of FB, Twitter and to a lesser degree Instagram, TikTok, YouTube are factors in the increased outrage but i don't believe some shadowy cabal is deliberately trying to do it, tho there are those who benefit from people being easily riled up.
Think about the memes on FB that contain easily debunked falsehoods (about the 'war' on Christmas; about the military 'forbidding' prayer, hell folks are still saying prayer was banned in school when the only ban was on any agent of 'the state' (teachers, admins, staff) leading a mandatory prayer and choosing the form, substance of the prayer.

While some of us prefer to fact check, draw our own conclusions and decide for ourselves how we'll feel about any given event, sadly many folks like being 'part of the crowd' and often posts in FB and Twitter play on people's emotions to get them to 'react' and to share--usually without checking the substance of the claim being made. Social media makes it easier for people to exercise 'mob mentality' without having the consequences that are likely to be attached if you join a mob in 'real life' as some people are currently learning, who left a cybertrail of evidence on themselves regarding a recent mob action.

When the few voices of reason depart a thread that either started with a negative post or got turned that way by those disagreeing with the OP the indignant, outraged 'mob' feels they've 'won', not understanding that the point of most arguments is, or should be to at least come to understand other perspectives on the matter even if they can't come to any agreement on a satisfactory 'resolution' to the issue. That sense of 'winning' empowers them to continue to behave that way, probably the less good they feel about their own lives, the more likely they are to repeat such behaviors.

While it's possible there are some 'behind the scenes' manipulations going on, i doubt it's a concerted, thoroughly organized one. For one thing the most likely 'suspects' each tend to put themselves first and will happily point fingers at each other if need be to deflect public ire over the manipulation.
 
Last edited:
Chris P Bacon said:
If it bleeds, it leads. American journalism entwined with capitalism to lure as many eyes as possible to a screen.
Advertising isn't profitable if no one views it and there's nothing like fear and discontentment to draw a crowd.
Click to expand...
In a thread on another platform where this sort of came up i posted this:

Anyone who wants a real eye-opener should watch or read how varying outlets cover certain big events--often the headlines (which at one time referred to FACTS) will tell you how they WANT you to feel about an event or someone's remarks and the story is just more of the same slant. They don't just run the clip and challenge viewers to decide how they feel about it, they editorialize without ever stating clearly that what follows is their opinion about the facts, not facts themselves.
 
Chris P Bacon said:
If it bleeds, it leads. American journalism entwined with capitalism to lure as many eyes as possible to a screen.
Advertising isn't profitable if no one views it and there's nothing like fear and discontentment to draw a crowd.
Click to expand...
It's completely within the realm of possibility that directing discord toward life's more petty issues and offering opportunities for a sense of social upper-handedness is by design. Questioning the true motivation behind it is a whole 'nother game show.
 
feywon said:
Think about the memes on FB that contain easily debunked falsehoods (about the 'war' on Christmas; about the military 'forbidding' prayer, hell folks are still saying prayer was banned in school when the only ban was on any agent of 'the state' (teachers, admins, staff) leading a mandatory prayer and choosing the form, substance of the prayer.
Click to expand...
I always liked the saying, "There will always be prayer in school as long as there are math tests."

I don't belong to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram but I do love the message boards, Goodreads to talk about books, Primetimer to talk about TV. I've written well over a hundred book reviews on Amazon and of course Seniors Forums. I started posting here after 20 years on another message board which had reached Level Five Outrage. If you weren't as outraged as the rest of the gang you were evil and you would be dog piled.
 
eyeballT_opt_large.jpg
 
I honest to God couldn't give a rats @$$ about Social Media besides Youtube I don't use it.
Fascist Book can take a flying leap into Hell, Twitter and Instagram can follow! I absolutely refuse to be told what to think and what to say.
 
I don't think we need much training. We don't have political debates in this forum, because the rancor, ill feeling, hate, and devastation those debates caused nearly wrecked this forum, Other forums , which allow political debate are marred with vicious discord. We are all opinionated egotists . I do believe hiding behind " bobbyblo125" lets us type out our true, unguarded selves.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top