Australia's world-first ban on social media for under 16s

[d00d]

@OldGreyFox

I very rarely read the news at all, and my reaction would be the same if I was watching a movie. Nothing really affects me or my life so what’s the point?
I’d much rather go out for a bike ride, walk/jog, or do something constructive.
Or actually interfacing with the people around me.
I like visiting the forum though, because the more mature person is more sensible and broad minded…In most cases…but not all…

I like watching Netflix with Mrs d00d; she likes a bit of soap, rom com. We enjoy the interaction: guessing what’s coming up next, being first to know who done it.

[OldGreyFox]

@d00d

Isn’t an open mind better than swallowing the point of view churned out by the Press Association?

Absolutely, every time d00d.
Once upon a time you could rely on the news, but not since somebody realised they could control the masses with it…
Even if some of the atrocities did happen, what can we do, or want to do about it.
Virtue signalling and arguing with people on a forum is the best you can expect…

[Lincolnshire]

@d00d

I’d have thought social media healthier than MSM

Let’s consider that notion. What you call MSM is of course a mix of press, television and online news reporting. These are all groups of professional and trained journalists and reporters. With the back up of analysts and specialists. The spend every day gathering, analysing, assessing, verifying, background checking and cross checking news stories. Certainly they can be lazy and miss details. Certainly they can be biased and present one angle more than another. However, the press (and here I include TV news) is the fourth estate that holds power to account, that identifies falsehoods, that digs into links, connections and actions some might want to keep out of sight.
And then there are bunch of keyboard warriors on social media pumping out anything that might gain them clicks and revenue. No checks.
I wonder which is a healthier source of info and insights on the world. Hard to decide, isn’t it?

[Surfermom]

@Lincolnshire

. These are all groups of professional and trained journalists and reporters. With the back up of analysts and specialists.

I am a tremendous supporter of the fourth estate, but there are no required credentials for journalists, and no ethical oaths for which there are consequences for bad journalism. When news organizations were smaller and independently owned, there was a greater effort to offer unbiased news, but now, wise readers believe “journalists” are more inclined to be propagandists.

There is certainly a problem with the belief that “We are all journalists now,” but one of the benefits of the internet is that people are quick to point out potential flaws and outright deception, allowing the public to research stories on their own. I wholly agree that one of the most significant problem is that clicks = revenue to the poster.

[d00d]

@Lincolnshire

Let’s consider that notion. What you call MSM is of course a mix of press, television and online news reporting. These are all groups of professional and trained journalists and reporters. With the back up of analysts and specialists. The spend every day gathering, analysing, assessing, verifying, background checking and cross checking news stories. Certainly they can be lazy and miss details. Certainly they can be biased and present one angle more than another. However, the press (and here I include TV news) is the fourth estate that holds power to account, that identifies falsehoods, that digs into links, connections and actions some might want to keep out of sight.
And then there are bunch of keyboard warriors on social media pumping out anything that might gain them clicks and revenue. No checks.
I wonder which is a healthier source of info and insights on the world. Hard to decide, isn’t it?

When you put it like that, yes, it is hard to decide. And the answer is, in a word, both. Whilst the Journos are sitting around their Paddington HQ with Whitehall officials deciding on what the UK official line will be, the keyboard warriors are providing us with an alternative story. Not a bad thing surely? Let’s keep an open mind on this.