Some thoughts about the 'culture wars' on social media

[John T Smith]

I sometimes read or listen to the news about the 'culture wars' happening today with a little bit of wonder... the only social media platform I use is Facebook, and that only once a day to see what some distant friends have to say, so I have to shake my head when someone gets upset about different thoughts and ideas and leaves or threatens to leave FB or X/Twitter or even going so far as to say they are going to move to a different country (how many celebrities who SAID they were going leave the US actually DID leave if 'their' candidate didn't win?)
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When someone makes a comment I don't like on FB I ignore it and go to the next message... what I really don't like about FB is the list of 'people you may know' who I don't know... and the random links to sites I will never visit that are dropped in when I am on FB... I am not interested in F1 races or used cars or any other crappy sites, so I keep blocking them and more random stuff keeps showing up... oh well, such is life in the digital age
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I do have to laugh about one celebrity... George Clooney & wife live at Lake Como in France, but I just heard on the radio that he is very upset with the loss by Kamala... he has already left, at least in part, so being concerned about a US election is laughable... he is rich and lives in an exclusive area so the crime and financial problems faced by the average people in the US don't matter to him
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Also, there are the complaints about the 'free' exchange of ideas on social media
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First, Mark Zuckerberg admitted suppressing free speech
https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-statement-zuckerberg-admission-biden-har...
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Then, Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed the censorship there to make the platform more equal
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Anyone may post their thoughts where they feel comfortable, but leaving a platform due to a leveled playing field would seem to be a case of not wanting any discussion of opposing ideas... oh well, if your feathers are the same I guess you will flock together
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Here is a comment (picture) I found that I think is both true and funny

[Nancy OShea]

Watching all of this unfold from the sidelines is hilarious. Bring plenty of popcorn.

Meanwhile, the most decent man to ever hold U.S. office has died. Pres. Jimmy Carter was 100. 😞

[Nancy OShea]

The circular logic on social media.

[Nancy OShea]

I wonder how long this "no-fact-checking" policy will last.  This is just one of many similar posts floating around on FB.

[Ricky336]

Only the gullible will believe such news!

[Nancy OShea]

That's the whole point. Fake news is fake news, not free speech.

[Nancy OShea]

TikTok Ban Begins Sunday

[Chuck Uebele]

If this actually remains in effect, the void will soon be filled. Other businesses will want to tap the potential.

[Nancy OShea]

Mark Cuban is committed to creating a TikTok replacement using Bluesky's AT Protocol.

He has the technical team & money to do it.

[Chuck Uebele]

Well, there you go. Of course the right will be up in arms as Cuban is very liberal, but the left would act the same way like they did when Musk took over Twitter.. I really don’t give a rip. I have no interest in TT or whatever takes its place. 

[Nancy OShea]

Mic drop.  TikTok is an entertainment platform -- singing, dancing, comedy, lip-syncing, parody and other creative pursuits. Young people use it as an outlet to express themselves and share content with their communities.

[Chuck Uebele]

Yea, that's what I originally heard about it. ImI'not sure if that's still the case, as i don't really watch that stuff. I do know there there are a lot of videos on Tiktok by people proclaiming to give nutrition advice that are false and can be harmful.

[Leslie Moak Murray]

True but so is all the rest of social media. I swear you could lose 12 IQ points just looking at Facebook lately. 

[Nancy OShea]

It's not all bad.

This Murmuration is quite nice. 🙂

[Ricky336]

Why do people always film in portrait positions? 

[Ricky336]

And so 'another one bites the dust' or not!😃

[Nancy OShea]

TikTok's estimated value is approx $300 billion. Nobody has explained why the data TikTok collects is any worse than data collected from any other unregulated platform —  X, Meta, Amazon, Google, or Microsoft.

Boston billionaire & former owner of the L.A. Dodgers Frank McCourt says TikTok is worth $20 billion.  Last week, McCourt and his coinvestors, including Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary, sent ByteDance a formal offer to buy TikTok.

Meanwhile, Trump's team is looking for ways to delay the ban that he & fellow Republicans clamored so hard for in 2020.  Also, Trump invited TikTok's CEO to his inauguration, so clearly he's NOT concerned about China or their intent to "spy" on Americans who use TikTok. 

If you're confused, you're not alone. This whole TikTok issue is a confusing mishmash of contradictions.

[Nancy OShea]

When you open TikTok, this is what you see now.

And then this:

Followed by this:

[Ricky336]

TikTok only suffered a glitch in the matrix, that's all!

[Ricky336]

Not confused at all. This could be a great business opportunity! Nothing personal, it's only business (said the hitman to their victim). 😊

[Nancy OShea]

Day 3 - Trump breaks promise to save TikTok.  😕

Calls it a "worthless" app, "not worth saving." 

[Leslie Moak Murray]

That is not what he said. He said If he signs the deal, it's worth billions, but if he doesn't sign it's worth nothing.  That is so misleading as to ba an outright lie. 

[Nancy OShea]

Actually he said "if the President signs the deal, it's worth a Trillion" — which it's not.  And "if he doesn't get 50% ownership of TikTok, he won't sign the deal."  Blatant extortion.

[Leslie Moak Murray]

No it isn't. It's The Art of the Deal.

[Nancy OShea]

Be careful what you LIKE on Instagram. Everyone can see your LIKES now.

Instagram Reels Is Now Broadcasting Your Likes to Your Friends

[Leslie Moak Murray]

LinkedIn does this too and I hate it. It keeps people from giving Likes.