If you get your news from facebook, you’re a fucking idiot….
Still here? Didn’t click away? -I know some just did- the truth hurts.
I already felt this way, though this past weekend and what happened in France underlined it. I was off the online grid for the weekend. A weekend, when this serious, important news event happened. Upon my return to social media today, I purposely looked back through my feed to see what people were talking about. I have 2 conclusions: You and I, we all need use social media less, use it better, and, yes, if you get all your news from facebook you are an idiot.
Far above a ‘dislike’ button, there should be an ‘idiot’ button for the comments and posts that follow what you take as fact from what you learned on facebook. Here’s an idea, follow a link to a real news source, read an educated article. And stop pointing fingers. Just because something or someone seems different, doesn’t mean it is wrong.
Here’s to traditional media. Here’s to the professionals of radio, TV, the newspaper, and those professional online posters. Well, almost. As they disappoint. At what point did professional journalism turn into the sideshow it has become too? I don’t want to name names, instead I’ll just offer you this suggestion. Visit any reputable news source (online or elsewhere, it doesn’t matter). The criteria is to pick a news source you personally feel is professional, credible, unbiased. Even if it’s a source you would never usually seek, pick the one you feel is the go to for real news. Now visit it, and consider their headlines/attention grabbing statements. This is the shit you see with entertainment/pundit sources isn’t it?
They can almost get a pass, –it’s all done to get your attention right— except for this: now read/listen/watch, the rest of the story. Think about what was just presented to you. Was it accurate? fair? unbiased? It will blow your mind the number of (once) reputable sources whose credibility is becoming increasingly questionable.
Who is to blame for this?
You, and me, actually. We let the number of clicks and likes become important. We blurred the lines of entertainment and information. We let social media somehow become this barometer of life outside of our own, and own group of friends. And really, how many real friends do you have on facebook? Wasn’t that the whole point of it? Now, it’s just as basic, and uninspired, and corporate, and politicized, and –the list goes on- as all the things you utilize it for complaining about. How is your facebook account anything special to you anymore? Why do you now chose it over a conversation with the people infront of you, or just looking out the window and taking in life for that matter.
Yet we do. So, when an important event happens, this is where we turn. This is where legitimate information sources make flashy statements, and stupid polls, and biased comments, all to try and get a piece of your attention; when this is that last thing they should be doing. And ourselves, the last place we should be going is to online social media feeds to see what other people are saying about a situation, before actually learning facts about the situation.
So to you and I, yes, put the phone down! Use facebook, all social media, less. Think about it, is it really that important to you? I’m not saying don’t use it. I say use it less, use it when appropriate –not every, and any, minute of the day-, and think about how you use it. Is it for fun?, entertainment escape?, keep in touch with people? OK, great, use it for that. If you use it for news, don’t use it as your only news source, and find actual news stories through it dammit. Use it to educate yourself.
And to those legitimate news sources. I get it, social media/digital media is changing the game. Budgets are smaller, demands are higher. The audience is more fragmented than ever. Yes, use social media. Yes, use it to share what you are and what you do. Use it to be the credible, factual source. Post concise informative links to your stories. Don’t though, be a source of fun, entertainment escapism. Flashy headlines and statements, might get you the attention, the likes, the clicks. At the end of the day though, it takes away your credibility. And when shit hits the fan, and something serious happens, you have to be that source of credibility. At what point did the industry forget this?
As mentioned I was off the online grid this weekend. The radio, is where I learned about the situation in France, while driving Friday night. And, I chose to stay offline the whole weekend, and go through my social media feeds today, to make the comparison to my non-online experience. In the end, radio, and a little bit of TV, kept me in the know from Friday to today. Poking around social media today, I am no more informed, and instead a whole lot more disappointed by the arrogant, hating, comments and posts I keep coming across.
Already feeling this way, about people choosing to use social media as their source for fact and information. The unfortunate event this weekend, makes it that much clearer. And for the argument to put the phone down, again, it was highlighted by this situation. I didn’t need online sources to know about, or understand this event, and be in the loop.
You can survive without social media, and you will thrive without it’s endless rude, uneducated, finger pointing posts, comments and shares.
Yes I realize the irony of this online post, using social media to say use social media less.
I’m not a fucking idiot.
-Gilmore
