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Category: Social Media

Social media “quotable quote” propagation

Social media “quotable quote” propagation

A topic we have covered before is the prevalence of “famous quotes” said to be by historical figures. Much of the time, there is either no record that the “famous quote” was said by the historical figure or there is proof that the quote came from someone else. Yet seemingly everyone publishes “quotable quotes” on social media. Here is another example: Not surprisingly, this quote originated, in a slightly modified form, from a physicist in 1963 and has nothing to do…

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Do some people want to receive propaganda? YES

Do some people want to receive propaganda? YES

So it goes with propaganda. For propaganda to be effective, it requires submissive subjects. As Professor Nicholas O’Shaughnessy wrote, propaganda is a “co-production in which we are willing participants.” Source: Why Does Propaganda Work? Some People Want It | Zero Hedge The answer is an absolute yes! Millions of people voluntarily belong to Facebook groups whose sole purpose is the dissemination of propaganda. Whether it be left or right leaning political groups, environmental and other activist groups, many people read…

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Did attack dogs bite a little girl in the face at pipeline protest in North Dakota?

Did attack dogs bite a little girl in the face at pipeline protest in North Dakota?

TL;DR Summary Graphic photo of a little girl with bite wounds to her face was presented online as proof that attack dogs were unleashed on Native American and other protesters at an oil pipeline construction site in North Dakota. This photo was then passed on social media, including online comments at “news” sites, as proof of the vicious attacks by dogs. The photo, however, first appeared in a June 26, 2012 NY Daily News report about a dog attack that…

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Did a Court ban Native Americans from protesting on their own land?

Did a Court ban Native Americans from protesting on their own land?

TL;DR Summary Native Americans and others are protesting oil pipeline construction in North Dakota. This “news” item says the “U.S. government bans Native American Tribe from Protesting on their own land – send in police to remove protesters”. The graphic image looks scary. Except that is not a Native American and this photo is from 2012, in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and has nothing to do with the events occurring in North Dakota. That is a first clue that this may…

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Social Media is a stupidity amplifier

Social Media is a stupidity amplifier

The news that big insurance companies are dropping out of the exchanges doesn’t mean Obamacare is broken, writes Tim Mullaney. The problem is easily fixable once we realize it’s really about a few specialty drugs. Source: How Gilead ‘broke’ Obamacare This article, from a Marketwatch.com reporter says insurance companies are dropping out of ObamaCare due to expensive “specialty drugs”. This assertion does not pass the giggle test. This article, and its sharing on social media, demonstrates how social media amplifies…

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Social media and its negative impact on productivity

Social media and its negative impact on productivity

High tech ought to be driving our economy forward, but as the linked article highlights, our productivity improvements and job opportunities are not nearly as great as past industrial advances. Why is that? Much of today’s tech industry is “social media” and: One reason [for a productivity slowdown] may be the nature of “social media,” which is largely a replacement for technology that already exists, or in many cases, is simply a diversion, even a source of time-wasting addiction for…

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Research finds that social media rots teen brains

Research finds that social media rots teen brains

Analyzing the test results showed that students who frequently used social networking sites like Facebook or apps like Snapchat ended up wasting their brain cells, scoring on average 20 points lower in math, reading and science compared to those who didn’t partake in the online “social scene.” Source: Research Suggests Gamers Get Better Grades, While Social Sites Rot Your Brain Hmmmmm …. If you, say, wanted to control a population, you would use social media propaganda … with the added…

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Republican Platform seeks to sell off all Western US Federal lands

Republican Platform seeks to sell off all Western US Federal lands

TL; DR Summary The basic propaganda method used here is the strawman argument. In the strawman argument, you create a fictitious statement from your opponent (in this case by exaggerating what they said) and then argue against that fictitious statement, rather than what the opponent actually said or promoted.