Social or Antisocial Media?
Firstly: thank you for all your good wishes! I’m somewhat better but not fully out of the woods. So I’ll take it easy-ish for the next few days. After all, I’m not nor ever will be in receipt of the proposed rise in statutory sick pay proposed by yon Matt H (link, paywalled). This is meant to make us ‘a healthier nation’ because more people will feel it’s ok to stay at home and not spread viruses. I’m beginning to suspect that there’s either a secondary Magic Money Tree in the back garden of his department – or that he’s trying to out-Rishi Rishi with ‘gifts to the people’. Of course, our dear MSM never point out that this extra money is coming out of our own pockets …
While I was ‘off work’ I also refrained from delving into the morass that is ‘Our MSM’. This was helpful because without that daily dose of fury and ire I had time to think a bit – between episodes of scaring my beloved dog with bouts of explosive sneezing which make her retreat into the hall … Stepping away for a few days from all that jazz was akin to getting up a hill to gain a bit of distance and perspective – and what I saw coming towards us over the horizon is truly frightening.
For the last five years we’ve been well aware of the power of the Westminster ‘elite’, the potpourri of politicians, Mandarins and their MSM, to create and abuse ‘Fear’ as instrument of ’behavioural change’, of ‘nudging’ us peasants into doing what they want us to do. The last year, the ‘Covid Year’, has shown to what extremes these so-called elites have gone, the power they’ve amassed – and the extent to which willing helpers amongst us all have been able to enforce their covid agenda.
We’ve talked about how the MSM have turned into publishing plain gossip. No report or article was free of quoting all those unnamed ‘sources’, ‘senior sources’, ‘diplomats’ and ‘allies of’, as if “we” must surely accept this sort of undocumented tittle-tattle as irrefutable arguments.
There’s been one other driver in this ongoing war against us, the sovereign: we the people: the “Social Media”. More and more, ‘politics by twitter’ has become the norm. What looked like faintly comical attempts by politicians and luvvies just a couple of years ago to show they were ‘with it’ – the ‘Yoof, that is, has now become the main instrument of governance.
Recall the outcry after the EU Referendum result – that somehow this couldn’t be right because all those twitterati, the “Generation whichever letter is now in vogue” was so loudly and prominently telling the rest of us that “we” must Remain. We did tell them afterwards that collecting ‘likes’ on their accounts didn’t mean they didn’t have to go and vote.
Nowadays we’re only too aware of the censoring of ‘unsuitable’ opinions by those Big Tech owners, trashing Freedom of Speech. The main danger though is that TPTB have gone ‘full twitter’, abusing the outcries of the hashtag crowd as proof that their policies are correct, thus coercing us into accepting their strictures ‘because: majority!!!”. Our formerly ever so great MSM have now turned into unthinking regurgitators who never question what some more prominent tweeters announce.
I’ll refrain from mentioning that having a more melanin-enhanced skin colour is nowadays regarded as proof of vastly superior mental capabilities. That, to pick up a phrase newly minted by yon ‘leading star’ of that whole group, is my truth and it’s therefore unassailable!
Today, I came across an article in The Times, penned with smouldering, veritable outrage. It’s about ‘sexual abuse of teenagers’ – but it’s not what you think! This is about a campaign (“Everyone’s Invited”), started by a young lady, Soma Sara (22), a:
“quietly spoken, polite, considerate member of Generation Z who has been living during the pandemic with her grandmother in Paris. She started the campaign last summer with friends after she realised that she wasn’t the only one who had spent her teens being forced into sexually compromising situations, abused by boys, teased and shamed.” (link, paywalled)
That is certainly quite horrendous if not precisely new– there were previous reports on this phenomenon. However, when I read the introduction paragraph, I was somewhat flabbergasted:
“Scroll down the testimonials on @everyonesinvited and weep. Eleven-year-olds forced to send nude photos to older boys, 13-year-olds molested in front of cheering pupils in parks, 15-year-olds coerced into having sex at parties, hundreds of children’s desperate stories of rape culture, harassment, assault and sexual humiliation. This is Britain in 2021.” (link, paywalled)
‘Britain 2021’ – a swamp of teenage sexual predators and nobody knew? Surely someone must have asked who ‘forced’ eleven-year-olds to send nude photos and to whom? Is it to other pupils in their own schools? Furthermore, isn’t the molestation of 13-year-olds a case for the police, as is ‘coercing’ 15-year-olds to have ‘sex parties’? Clearly something has gone disastrously wrong. It’s facile though to blame parents for not supervising their kids or lambast the police for turning a blind eye. There’s more:
“The online porn culture can’t have helped. “It reinforces boys’ idea of entitlement over women’s bodies and consent not even existing in porn. It’s very toxic, yet it’s ingrained at such a young age — 11-year-old boys are watching porn. That’s their sex education.” (link, paywalled)
Did nobody notice that this was going on? However, unlike the reporter who simply had to inject the question if Ms Soma had ‘experienced racism’, she herself put her finger on the ‘culprit’, albeit with a swipe at teachers and parents who ‘simply didn’t understand’ what was happening. Apparently they simply said or thought that ‘girls should change their behaviour’. Keep that in mind when you read this next:
“Girls, Soma says, are complicit too. “The slut-shaming, jealousy, competition. We are all guilty to some extent. We have this weird culture now where we post pictures of ourselves and want to be liked like the Kardashians. Social media gives us this impossible body image that creates insecurity and eating disorders and never feeling perfect enough.” (link, paywalled)
I find it highly significant that Ms Soma names the elephant in the corner, ‘Social Media’, but still bewails that girls felt the ‘need to cover up’. Neither she nor the reporter ask why kids of 11 years of age ‘feel forced’ to post nude photos, why girls ‘feel forced’ to cover up. I wonder if the behavioural change parents and teachers suggested might have been to stay off social media. I wonder why it doesn’t occur to that articulate young lady to campaign for staying off the Antisocial Media because of their pernicious influence which she so clearly recognises.
I wonder when it will occur to politicians that ‘politics by twitter’ are an abomination. I wonder when it will occur to at least some editors in the MSM that tweets aren’t ‘facts’ worthy of reports. I wonder when it will occur to parents that taking the smartphones out of their kids’ hands is the best way to safeguard them.
I wonder when that whole lot will grasp the fact that nothing has poisoned our society as much as the tsunami of hashtag opinions manufactured in and by the Antisocial Media. Sadly, the Zoom culture of this covid year, the preponderance of ‘NHS Apps’ in the government’s fight against that virus only shows that the Westminster “elite” haven’t grasped what is going on.
Mostly though I wonder when we ourselves will grasp the fact that we are watching our culture being driven by Antisocial Media into one where age discrimination is not just rife but becoming the main issue. It’s only a small step from ‘protecting the elderly’ to ‘keep them out of public life altogether’, for their, for our own good, naturally, while the opinions of teenagers are being used as yardstick for policies.
Here’s a proposal. Given that we’re all being coerced into going ‘zero CO2’ and full-on electric: now that the proposal coal mine in Cumbria is being stopped, why not cancel smart phones with their Antisocial Media to save the electricity “we” need to drive our electric cars? It might help against teenage sexual predation on Antisocial Media …
KBO!
I think the most relevant point of the article “Stepping away for a few days from all that jazz was akin to getting up a hill to gain a bit of distance and perspective”.
And when that is done methinks the answer is to find a way to detach oneself from society. Join a local group or any group that is trying to find alternative solutions. Home teaching, alternative medicine, common law, local politicians’ ie independent ones, local businesses, local independent news outlets/websites, grow your own co-operatives, and frankly any initiative that is not part of, or attached to, the established corruption and systems.
This is the way to go, no doubt about it. If you cannot offer vigour and youth offer advice and experience; if not brawn offer finance, but do something. Support family and community.
There are now too many lazy good for nothings that wouldn’t understand ‘enslavement’ if the handcuffs were locked on their wrists. We may have reached that point where company has to be parted. If they don’t know now will they ever know?
Our daughter has been convinced by her parents (us) that the main cause of problem with her daughter is the Smartphone. Our son is leading the way he smashed his Smartphone. I am giving up mine along with my GP. What a disgrace they have been.
On a lighter note the sun came up this morning! Time to wake up, smell the coffee and breathe fresh air.
What is going on? In Exmouth a care home that had been covid free now has residents dropping like flies even though they had the first jab in January. Nine have died and 2 are very poorly.
WELCOME BACK VIV. And don’t overdo it.
Great to see you back Viv but really look after yourself. Debbie too, hope she’s still on the mend.
Cancelling smartphones is a smart idea if you can do without one.
The greatest abuse of children is by the authorities and schools, worse even than predators on social media. At lease the kids have a choice with the twitter predators.
Glad to hear you are improving Viv. Very best wishes. Tablespoon of honey everyday and along with oven braised whole onion in chicken stock may aid your return to full health.
When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s it was always thus. Even the son of my mothers cousin tried to groom me. He married and under the watchful eye of his wife he carried on until I thought if noone is going to save me, my parents didnt, I will save myself and I did. No social media present. Certain men are predators or inadequate so they prey on the innocent and naïve.
My daughter was groomed by a female classmate and to this day cant listen to Tracy Chapman because she played it to her. She had no idea that was her game. So its both sexes and whether you encounter a predator or not. Nothing is unique to the current generation. They just think it is.
You are right Hez, I remember there were a number of creeps that played on youngsters. I also know that it was impossible to talk to adults about this sort of thing as children were expected to generally be seen and not heard. I had a family member who prayed on young girls but we were afraid to report it as we would not have been believed. Of course nowadays I do feel sorry for what is predominantly a male condition as many innocents are caught up in the scramble to get a conviction, and once tainted it is impossible to get trust and self respect back. Lets face it there’s more jail-bait out there now than there ever was and the internet perpetuates this.
On another note, welcome back Viv and take it easy.
HEZ I do not believe your account of the 50’s and 60’s. That’s when I was growing up and it was not like you describe.
how can you catch a cold In Lockdown ?? what have you been doing ????
hand yourself in to the Police or I will have to .
Much safer in Police hands than in Hospital… ask PC Wayne Couzens
Thanks for the LOL euge.
Glad to see you back Viv. Don’t push yourself too far before you are fully fit! I agree with your ‘reading’ of the situation in which we (collectively) find ourselves. The rise and rise of ‘smartphones’ has been a disaster for mankind imho! Until two years ago I was happy with my old Nokia with only a minutes and texts tariff. When my health took a bit of a bashing my son thought it would be a good thing for me to have his old smart phone linked to a health app and heart rate monitor. I did benefit from using it and from that point of view it was a success. But little by little I have come to see that it has gained traction in my hands and I find myself being ‘sucked in’! But I’m a grown up and can change my habits without worrying about peer pressure!
The damage to children who do respond to peer pressure (exacerbated by the messages on their smart phones) is frightening. But parents are largely to blame. Mostly the parents are glued to their smartphones too rather than paying attention to their children. School could do more to counteract this problem but I wonder if they really care enough to do so! I think governments do know what is going on but are ignoring it because it simply aids their long term plans to have a fully compliant and docile population who will follow orders without question. The physical and mental welfare of the population is furthest from their minds! Annexing us ‘grannies and grandads’ so we cannot have any direct influence on the younger generation is also part of the plan! Evil is all around us now!
“the Westminster “elite” haven’t grasped what is going on”
Maybe the ‘elite’ really HAVE grasped it and the opportunities for more political manipulation that it presents !
in the thirties and forties my parents andfamily spent a lot of time reading and discussing whatthey called futurism and thinking machines and the affects on people and societies. In the fifties and sixties i and my brother became involved with the main ideas and design, developement and manufacture of what we now call tech.. One ofthe core safeguards has always been Britain, its open-ness and why. The right were always there as well but never so blinkered. and why. This discussion always ran into refusals of some to consider alternatives. of other than the left in our groups. All this was discussed to death. Always it was for ‘the people’.
The difference between the thinking then and now was fundamental but no longer considered. Then the fundamental was the family. There were tensions but the family was fundamental.. When a grand parent died the one left , stayed with the daughter or vice versa.
So the word ” People ” meant something different. Politicians of the 50’s to 80’s killed that off, by promoting population movement, Tax changes, Welfare and other misplaced benefits to leave what we have now. Which is differing societies of differing age groups, differing occupation concerns, etc with seperate aims. Shambles. And Wrong. Wrong, Wrong.! Particularly wrong when our rulers want us to all be identical. It’s much easier for them that way ! ,
So what I am trying to say is that People is not the same as it was . It no longer has the same strength and depth and aims. The people used to have all the attributes of the different ages and sexes and experiences working as one. We fractured and replaced it with cheap, shiney toys of snake oil politicians.
And I think the main push for good and built and satisfaction as opposed to ignorance and decay, is knowledge. Not knowledge as in desparate status of the professor or expert, or the frantic search for different or seperateness, or the ponderous pronouncements or the braying of celebs. But real knowledge of self and place and job well done.and lots more. All my kids would stop and regard and feel good. It’s the best. But politics loses it. Experts lose it. Or maybe destroy it. But that sort of knowledge can be built on.
Consider the humble frying pan. You need a new one so the best (?) is an expensive stainless steel pan , probably coated with summat, beautifully packaged and proclaimed by the rich and famous. A couple of years and an accident or two you need another. Granny gives you her Cast Iron Pan to get you out of trouble. Ten years later you are still using it. That’s knowledge. It’s everywhere. The scientist who gets this, is a proper man, that’s knowledge, and I want him/her to work for me..
Tech is breeding uniformity, Copy this, Invention is scarce ,Rreally scarce. even the most pedestrian of ideas gets no traction, whereas grandiose gets siezed on either to mock or praise. The mockery is essentially worthless, and can be edited out. It is the recognition and considered opinion that is worthwhile reward..
TGS. I do agree with you. It is certainly true that ‘Tech’ has been key in changing all our lives….and not always for the better! Politicians have been working for a long time to break up the idea of ‘family’ and also to ‘re-educate’ (I call it ‘indoctrinate’) the recent generations in order to inculcate them with the idea that this distopian era in which we now find ourselves, is ‘normal’! By breaking down the ‘family’ they have been able to keep the ‘grannies’ and ‘grandpas’ from being able to tell the upcoming youngsters how life used to be ‘lived’ and challenge what they are being taught in the classroom.
Good to see you have shaken off your cold. I thought colds and flu had been eradicated by the NPIs?
I can imagine that social media has massively amplified the peer pressure on kids. The manipulation and coercion skills being learned and put to good use will come in handy when these teenagers grow up and become influencers and politicians.