The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Divisive politics silences majority online

Click HERE

note how the social operates in such a way that silences discourse and distorts views...note how the following excerpts actually subvert the often-cited promises that social media can bring to us....

This has led to an unusual apathy on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, on which many are choosing to keep silent instead of engaging in political discourse.....
This wariness is due, in part, to the nature of social media, where those with the loudest voices, largest followings and strongest opinions tend to draw the most number of eyeballs.
Instead of encouraging dialogue, the participatory power of social media, in which anyone is free to comment and make baseless accusations, has led to increasingly polarised views and silos.
Mr Ghonim said: "today's social media currency is based on the numbers of followers, likes and shares. You are rewarded for broadcasting your opinion much more than engaging in conversations". He added that "people will be as shallow as platforms allow them to be".
Mr Ghonim believes that social media platforms are able to tweak their algorithms to allow their users to see more reasonable counter-views, rather than an echo-chamber of like-minded opinions. That might not be the case now, as platforms typically try to grow their user base by allowing its users to see what they like to see - in many cases, opinions similar to their own.