Today, the Oregonian ran a story from the AP about the high costs of ACA insurance policies. I added two comments to the story. One of my comments appears online and the other is “shadow banned”. When I am logged in to the Oregonian, I see this When I am not logged in, I see only this which is presumably what everyone else sees as well. In other words, my comment is visible only to me but invisible to everyone…
This might be the first of more than one post. I have been collecting, when possible, social media propaganda items regarding recent natural and unnatural disasters (such as local arson caused wildland fires). Examples Validating the Claims Some assertions, like the last one, fail the test of logic. Many assertions can be checked against past history – there is actual data and historical context. Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr, a professor of environmental policy at the University of Colorado and one…
The “spiral of silence” is a well-researched phenomenon in which people suppress unpopular opinions to fit in and avoid social isolation. It has been looked at in the context of social media and the echo-chamber effect, in which we tailor our opinions to fit the online activity of our Facebook and Twitter friends. Source: Mass surveillance silences minority opinions, according to study – The Washington Post Rather than increasing perspectives, social media naturally enforces a conformity in ideas, in order…
TL;DR Summary Part 1: Denmark is the world’s happiest nation because of the following reasons (Not true) Part 2: Denmark has a $20/hour minimum wage (No, it does not). Part 3: Denmark has a 33 hour work week (No, it does not) Part 4: Denmark has Free University ? Yes but read why – it’s not why you think Part 5: Denmark has Free Childcare? No, it does not – this claim is a lie Part 6: Denmark has Free…
TL; DR Summary This poster is elegant in its design, use of “anchoring” and logical fallacy – but the poster is a work of fiction and an outright lie. Yet it successfully engaged System 1’s quick and intuitive thinking to lead viewers into a false conclusion, and whose viewers then quickly shared it with their friends, encouraging their friends to reach the same false conclusion. Read through to learn how false this poster is – yet why it worked as…
TL;DR Summary Why do we play the national anthem at sports events? Why do we have the emotional re-uniting of families with a service member returned from overseas at sports events? These seemingly spontaneous events of joy and patriotism are often paid endorsements from the marketing budget of the the US Department of Defense. In the case of the Superbowl, the symbolism is taken to an extreme to link pro sports with patriotism, military and nationalist pride.
TL; DR Summary This promotional messaging associates positives feelings about nature with their product. They encourage sharing this with the specified hashtag. This example also illustrates the use of social media propaganda posters in marketing campaigns and promotions.
TL;DR Summary: TV news, especially, but print news too, relies on a concept of “emotional jolts per minute” to engage their viewer or reader. An emotionally jolted viewer or reader is more likely to retain the story in their head. An emotionally jolted person is more susceptible to advertising messages, which is good for the business. The Washington Post ended their Internet meme fact checking column because they discovered that no one cares if the meme is false; as long…
TL;DR Summary: TV news, especially, but print news too, relies on a concept of “emotional jolts per minute” to engage their viewer or reader. An emotionally jolted viewer or reader is more likely to retain the story in their head. An emotionally jolted person is more susceptible to advertising messages, which is good for the business. The Washington Post ended their Internet meme fact checking column because they discovered that no one cares if the meme is false; as long…