media literacy
The Open Question March 25: The Bachelor got cancelled... what does it say about us?
Today at 2pm. Some context here; here are some places for us to start: How should we form beliefs about something like this? What sources do you actually trust, and why?... The Open Question March 18: How do we reason about the future given AI? I find this topic extremely perplexing, and endlessly fascinating.
- What are we raising our kids to be ready for? What skills don't matter anymore that we used to hold sacred, and what do we need to emphasize?
- Will we have universities?
- Where to invest time/energy?
- Where to invest money? Will money even matter?
- Purpose and meaning, etc...
especially when I factor in stuff like Nate Soares talking about If Anyone Builds It Everyone Dies, Rob Miles and Jeffrey Ladish communicating the wild risks involved in AI acceleration, there's almost too much to contemplate at once, and I'd love y'all's help.
Some convos already on UpTrust that might be relevant:
- Blake on AI collaboration
- Tommy on TikTok brain with AI
- Renee on Older people adopting AI
- Leif on Digital Mystics
- Alex on AI & the Second Coming of Christ
- Dave on an AI Safety introduction he likes
#openquestion
From a developmental perspective onr of the most interesting questions is how early and how safely can children be taught to not believe content. Without losing sincere engagement, we also need to acknowledge that images, videos,.voices, identities of people sending messages,... The Cost of Letting main stream media and social media Do Our Thinking. Lately I’ve been thinking about how both the political left and right are pushing narratives through social media, and a lot of what’s being shared is made up of half-truths or no truth at all. It feels like emotions are being intentionally poked and prodded to build followers around ideologies, not facts.
Honestly, you can’t even scroll social media anymore without stopping to ask yourself, “Is this actually true?” And that the norm now.
Before you can even consider the message, you have to research it just to figure out if it’s real. That alone tells me things are out of control.
What worries me most is how much of this stuff gets absorbed emotionally. A lot of people don’t consciously assess what they believe or take the time to verify it. If something aligns with how they feel, it gets accepted and then repeated.
Sometimes something goes viral almost instantly and gets accepted as truth, whether it’s fact or fiction, simply because it hits people emotionally.
And I get it. When something hits you emotionally and connects to a belief you already have, human nature is to accept it as truth, because our own biases want us to believe it.
If this keeps going, I really think it damages our ability to function as a country, because we lose a shared understanding of what’s real and what isn’t. Everything becomes narrative instead of truth.
I think part of the problem is that we’re becoming mentally lazy. We stop thinking critically and let confirmation bias run unchecked, and it just keeps building on itself.
The solution is simple, even if it’s not easy. Slow down. Question what we’re seeing. Separate facts from feelings. Think logically before reacting emotionally. Truth shouldn’t depend on which side it benefits.
Just something I’ve been thinking about.
v/r Russ
www.linkedin.com/in/russellclarkwyThat’s actually kind of what my post was about. When we start calling whole groups “low IQ,” make blanket claims, and say one side is pure good and the other is pure evil, we stop thinking critically and start reacting emotionally. My point wasn’t left vs right.... The Cost of Letting main stream media and social media Do Our Thinking
Lately I’ve been thinking about how both the political left and right are pushing narratives through social media, and a lot of what’s being shared is made up of half-truths or no truth at all.... Looking for bridges in views about the second Trump administration. I'm currently aware of four views:
- This is the worst thing ever, I'm terrified
- This is the best thing ever, I'm thrilled
- I don't pay attention to politics, so far my life feels exactly the same
- Some of the changes seem pretty cool so far, but we'll see
Where are the middle grounds? I want to know how to build bridges in my personal connections when politics comes up these days.
100 percent agree. It is so easy to hear a narrative that catches you emotionally one way or the other and latch on to that information as true. I rarely in day to day life find that people explore the truth of these ideas, rather travel the path of least resistance and trust... Looking for bridges in views about the second Trump administration. I'm currently aware of four views:
- This is the worst thing ever, I'm terrified
- This is the best thing ever, I'm thrilled
- I don't pay attention to politics, so far my life feels exactly the same
- Some of the changes seem pretty cool so far, but we'll see
Where are the middle grounds? I want to know how to build bridges in my personal connections when politics comes up these days.
One thing I tell others wanting to discuss the current political scene is that the distance between one side or the other is clouded by beliefs that might not be based upon actual facts. The "I read it on the internet" might not be based on facts.... Looking for bridges in views about the second Trump administration. I'm currently aware of four views:
- This is the worst thing ever, I'm terrified
- This is the best thing ever, I'm thrilled
- I don't pay attention to politics, so far my life feels exactly the same
- Some of the changes seem pretty cool so far, but we'll see
Where are the middle grounds? I want to know how to build bridges in my personal connections when politics comes up these days.
Someone gave me a tip during the Global Financial Crisis that I've since used to help with meaning-making for big, global, potentially ideologically charged news.... Supporting bipartisan Bromance? I think I’m starting to hope that JD and Tim can embrace and mutiny on their respective Presidential candidates.
I like that we’re getting deeper into the issues and realizing it’s not a simple issue solved by rhetoric. I like the civility even though the problems are heartbreaking and terrifying.
IDK much about either one either. I love what you do! Stayin’ in your range of influence. I figure as long as I vote, I don’t need to tune into all the stuff in between. I know enough to vote. My mom plays Fox in the afternoon for hours....
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