Pandemic Influence in Questions by People and Quality of Mediums
Does pandemic make people ask more or less? Hungry for information — what about it? Do lots of mediums help or not?
Are we hungry for information? A couple of years back people used to think, that access to information is crucial for human development and the realisation of its potential. Does it really? It is true that today when almost everyone has access to the repository of knowledge in their smartphones but is this access, used wisely?
Wisely is a problematic and a bit of a dangerous word to use here, because what is wise? — using the information to develop oneself or to spend time comfortably while you try to survive everyday struggles?
Are people hungry for information? From my point of view yes, the problem is the value of the information that they seek. You can see it clearly today. We are living in an information age, and that fact alone leads to many complications and dangerous situations. The problem is choice (Matrix reference not intended). Today an average person has access to so many mediums, notions, sources, and “authorities” that choosing from all of this mess something that is objective and true seems like Sisyphus’s work.
Lots of changes, new leaders.
10 years ago access to the world wide web wasn’t so easy. Now lots of country’s change their constitutions to allow access to free information for everyone. That alone has changed the world. Each year the number of people who immerse themselves in virtual reality grows. Thanks to it, the size of a potential audience who can listen, access, and support someone’s content is getting bigger. Today influencing others through articles, videos, short messages, or the ambition to become a social influencer isn’t such a rare thing. Many young people aspire to become an internet authority and lead big “virtual” communities, that will support them, and yes make it possible to earn lots of cash.
Lots of information = lots of fake information.
Fake news, it is a notion, that every user heard at least once. Today trolling and providing information that looks real and is based on “official” sources became plaque of modern technology. Every user has to its disposal the necessary tools to make viral information that will be convincing and can lead people astray. Some will become pieces of vital knowledge others would pass without notice.
In the beginning actions like that were simply pranks but many people quickly realised that thanks to the share amount of information it is very simple to create content that will be misleading and could push people in favourable (for someone) directions.
The point is that information isn’t good or bad, it all depends on how it is used and how it influences people. Fake news makes it harder to properly function in reality. Why? Because fake news often is presented in such a way, that they sound fine, it had a “scientific” background and is plausible, but they negate official notions or ideas. Negation isn’t bad, without it people couldn’t learn from mistakes. Fake news, make this “learning” process much shorter, the recipient thinks that he or she has acquired knowledge that somehow passed others, he/she is awakened, has quality knowledge. So why no one else is taking this particular information seriously? In many cases problem is checking the background.
Looking for new authority.
Today as users of the Internet we are constantly bombarded with various information — promotions, deals, news, articles, updates, gossip etc., etc. Because of that, a new niche has been filled — programs, videos, and people who are presenting what is worth and what is not. Social influencers could steer many thousands of people through one Tweet or Facebook post, and people are believing those influencers because they had become authorities. Because of that we are hardly checking the background of information that are reaching us, and in many cases, we are losing not only our own credibility, by recognising and promoting stuff that is not true, or hardly true, but also undermining the credibility of real authorities — for example, experts in a particular field.
Through informational chaos and the need to follow someone who can distinguish true and worthy information from those that will waste our time, people became susceptible to all kinds of manipulations.
I personally think that we are as hungry for information as ever before, and we are at a turning point in choosing the best medium for the job. Social media are definitely winning. Short forms of communication are getting more and more popular. Most of the users, don’t have time to read long articles and doing exact research. Right now many mediums helps in choosing the best way to communicate with millions of people around the world, and individuals who can convince those masses to listen to them are standing on the verge of greatness.
Is it scary? — Yes. Will hunger subside? — I really doubt it. What could those spokespeople do? — everything.
All we can do now is wait and see what happens.
by Leszek Jasiński
