FACING THE FUTURE

I'm missing playing tennis and haven't been for a couple of months now.

The tendinosis (current diagnosis) is painful and limits movement. I'm waiting on an orthopaedic surgeon visit to find out of tendon surgery is required otherwise it'll be a long period of physio. 

Not going to tennis means that I don't get a chance to argue with the old codgers about politics, local issues, COVID etc. I have to resort to making myself a nuisance on Neighbourly (Facebook)* or writing more blog posts and commenting on the others' blogs.

It's frustrating being inside and looking out at the rapidly growing lawn, the weeds and other jobs that need doing but I know that my hip needs rest.

Talking of Facebook - I was - keep up - I find that making comments or posting something brings out hordes of rabid trolls with mostly reactionary opinions and beliefs on racism, democracy, religion (supporters), women (anti), LGQBT (opposed) and COVID (anti vax).

"We know it all and, by the way, fuck you!"

If you've got some time read this:

ORIGINS AND CONSEQUENCES OF RACIALISED HATE SPEECH ON FACEBOOK OF RADICALISED

Although it is long and I doubt that you will. Richard has to pick up his neighbours' dog shit and Robert - well, it's too long for Robert to read, hasn't got any pictures in it, doesn't mention him and there are very few references to the Holy Trinity and His Lady.

Never mind, here are some outtakes from the conclusion (the conclusion itself is too long for you to read):

CONCLUSION 

• Innovation has always intended to ease and improve our lives, but its purpose now seems almost soteriological; we need invention to soothe our imperfect world.

•  Yet in recent years, it has become clear that while Facebook may serve as a tool for humanity to fight its inner demons, it also actively exploits those demons for profit. 

• Zuckerberg and other company executives introduced a product that preyed upon human tendencies towards negativity, divisiveness, and radicalism. Worse, they did so in volatile sociopolitical environments with little knowledge nor care for local contexts of power and oppression. 

• Facebook posits that it simply provides a neutral platform for individuals to freely express themselves, but such claims disingenuously mask the way that the platform’s algorithm intentionally amplifies sensational, even inflammatory content. It does not create social tensions out of nothing, but it can exacerbate those that already exist. This process was tragically exemplified by the Burmese military’s Facebook hate speech campaign and the resulting Rohingya genocide. 

- From Breaking Things: Origins and Consequences of Racialized Hate Speech on Facebook Katherine Herrick Macalester College, katie.ann.herrick@gmail.com

You get the gist. This is only one of many studies on this and similar topics. Facebook and the other social media has empowered people to publicly, by a safe and private platform, express views that once  were kept to themselves or their close associates. Ill-informed opinion and 'fake news' take precedence over legitimate news and research, largely by the sheer volume of it, but also because the readers, advocates and promulgators of radical ideas, conspiracy beliefs, religion, racism, white supremacy and other hare-based beliefs don't look to centrist and established media but gravitate to that which supports and fuels their prejudices.

It's a shame but then, it's human nature I guess just like the wonderful tool of the internet has been misappropriated by cheats, hackers, pornographers, charlatans and liars. It's a minefield that has to be carefully navigated to find the gold among the dross.

* I have two Facebook accounts. One in my name in order to access and communicate with people in important local groups I'm involved with and another, in another name to comment on posts that I find to be vile and dangerous.