Some aspects of social media are habit forming and some aspects are downright addictive. Treating social media as such gives you the tools to break the habit and the addiction.
Here is the link to the YouTube video.
Critiquing both parties in government. The party out of power tends to demand great change and become less motivated to change once they have power. We also consider the idea that the bias in media is a result of market forces, meaning that the consumers of media want the bias. We then spend a few minutes talking about the quality of presidential candidates in recent years and reminisce about past presidents.
You can find the link to the YouTube video, here.
Colin and Brian had different experiences in the previous conversation about whether or not there is bias against conservatives in social media and so we thought it would be wise to look back at the conversation. We also address the fact that one of our first videos was pulled out of circulation by YouTube, a few days ago.
Here is a link to the YouTube video.
Seven minutes into the recording, Brian references a study regarding the hard-right groups posting more junk news than all other groups combined. Here is the source (page eight).
A bit more than eleven minutes into the recording, Brian references a report that Facebook relaxed its rules for certain right leaning personalities. Here is the source (first two paragraphs).
Twelve minutes into the recording, Brian references an investigation into Facebook policies led by a former Republican politician. Here is the source (page 10).
Thirteen minutes into the recording, Colin references a report of anonymous sources stating conservative stories were being removed within Facebook. He also talks about the high number of employees that support Democrat candidates. Here is the source (page six).
Around the minute 35:30, Brian references a study that shows greater amplification of right wing tweets. Here is the source.
If you are interested in reading more on the topic, here are the sources we used for the conversation.
NYU False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives
Why The Right Wing Has A Massive Advantage On Facebook
Algorithmic Amplification Of Politics On Twitter
Here is a link to the YouTube video.
First, we take a deep look at the problem to truly understand what it is. Then we explore what a solution could look like. In the process, we gain clarity on the different components of a news story.
Here is the link to the YouTube video.
Brian and Colin discuss the difficulty in identifying the truth. We tend to use our personal experience and ideology to decide whether we acknowledge or deny the value of some piece of information. The focus of this conversation revolves around the data on Hunter Biden’s laptop and whether it should be reported on. We cover the history of the laptop and why it was such a controversial topic in the news leading up to the 2020 election. We discuss why there was so much distrust about the story, why there was a strong backlash against those promoting the story and whether either view was valid.
Link to the YouTube video.
Returning to the old format of Brian & Colin discussing a topic, they take on the use of graphics in media, how it can help or distort. The motivation for the conversation came from a tweet that Colin shared that consisted of a chart showing the dramatic rise in median income globally and Brian took issue with it. Colin begins the conversation by addressing confirmation bias when we receive information from the media, both in affirming what we already believe and dismissing that which we don’t. Brian discusses the context of the information we receive and how we need to consider very carefully the medium which we want to give the message. Some media are better suited for different messages. They address how we treat content differently when we trust the provider or we don’t.
Link to the YouTube video.
Some of the resources that we addressed in the conversation:
The book: Factfulness by Hans Rosling
The blog: The Grump Economist – John Cochran
News source fairly balanced and slightly to the right: The Dispatch
The chart that we used in the beginning of the conversation:
We can use the media environment in Russia during the assault on the Ukraine, to better understand the value of differing viewpoints. While we may find the current situation in the media in the US frustrating, let’s compare it to a government controlled media. Doing so, it becomes clear that media outlets that disagree is an indicator that our media environment is healthier.
You can view the YouTube video by following the link.
When news providers point out their corrections and ensure that every reader will see the correction, then you know that you have found a reputable news source.
You can find a link to the YouTube video.
Do social media companies have a responsibility to control the content that we see? Should they be managing the content that is deemed violent, offensive, demeaning or aggressive by the users? Colin & Brian both agree that in our present state, there is too much expectation placed on the social media companies to police the content we are exposed to. Remember when our feed was filled entirely with our friends and family. In the effort to monetize, the social media companies changed that experience. They use behavioral reinforcement psychology to keep us interacting and ultimately are motivated by profits.
Link to the YouTube video.
