Kinda like thinking TV shows actually represent what people are like in real life.
1 Like
It’s changed. I’ve lived here my entire life and I don’t recognize it right now, and truthfully, I don’t like it very much myself. I’m hoping that we’ve reached rock bottom and may start to heal, but I fear that the wounds inflicted on our country over the past 4 or 5 years may be so deep and infected it could be a long, slow, recovery.
3 Likes
Really, it isn’t the past 4-5 years. More like the past 15-20 years. We’ve been seeing the divide in this country growing. It isn’t really a political divide, in the sense of “political leadership”, but rather a divide among the people of the country itself, which is leading to more and more extreme candidates being elected. But that’s the thing. They are being ELECTED.
I kind of see the political divide a REFLECTION of the country, rather than a cause.
1 Like
It’s the social media “bubble” universe we live in that’s deepening that divide and I don’t see that going anywhere without more regulations…and with such a divided government nothing goes anywhere and round and round imho.
1 Like
What are you suggesting needs to be regulated in order to eliminate the bubble?
1 Like
Like Ryan said, that is a reflection of us, the people. Moderates of both parties are few and far between, and they haven’t held up well in primaries, with some exception in more competitive congressional districts. We, the people, have largely chosen either those that will push for the most extreme views of our party if in the majority, or those that will fight and resist the other side at all costs, if in the minority. Too many are against any thought of compromise for it to have much of a chance. There is a huge cultural/philosophical divide. Too many things that one side says or believes in just blatantly turns the other side off and is a nonstarter. There won’t be compromise for the sake of compromise. We have to decide who we are as a citizenry. The system is working, and our elected officials are doing what we are signalling them to do. I won’t subscribe to the idea that one person or one side alone has wounded the country. Too many examples from both sides to cite. We have all had a part in this. The question is, will we all do our part in making it better?
1 Like
Both sides-ism is part of the problem.
5 Likes
I don’t honestly have an answer for that but as long as friends and family of mine keep touting “statistically proven” controversies to me about evidence of voter fraud (as just a recent example) we have a problem. Those conspiracies would not air on TV or be published in any book you’d find in a library but so long as any “mad” person can spout conspiracies online and get a huge following and when that is where a chunk of people get their news you’re going to have polarization continue. Maybe social media algorithms need to change to play “devil’s advocate” and include both sides of controversial issues when one article is posted. Maybe there needs to be a label on unreliable news/scientific sources. I have no idea how to enforce those kinds of things but the people we vote to represent us on both sides of the aisle should care if it is tearing their country apart.
The older I get the more I like to hear the other side of things. I get that issues are complicated…take mask regulations. Our own Declaration touts both freedom and government for the people by the people. So which philosophy is more important to preserve when they conflict, forcing people to wear masks to protect people since it’s your job as the government to protect your people or giving people the freedom to decide if they want to protect themselves and their fellow citizens. That’s a sticky issue and not an easy one to answer. While I don’t understand people who make the personal choice to not wear a mask, I do understand their desire to have the freedom to make that choice. I think it’s a problem when we can no longer listen to the opposing side and empathize with the reasons people come to different conclusions. I think social media is definitely playing their part in helping people not see the other side by simply sitting by and filling your feed with more of the same and not caring what “news” is being spread at the speed of a click.
3 Likes
and news needs to be nonprofit and stop sensationalizing everything to make a buck. I would label myself liberal but I cannot stand MSNBC as much as I cannot stand Fox News.
1 Like
I did hear something about more regulation for ensuring people are who they say they are when they create social media accounts to prevent foreign attacks on dividing us. That’s a good start.
Per the press conference yesterday, there have been several outbreaks tides to sports in MN. They said 10% of cases in the schools are due to sports.
Agreed, if there is truly only one side to something. But if there is reasonable room for disagreement, let the First Amendment work. It’s just hard for everyone to agree on what is “reasonable.”
A little part of me died when I voted in the primary. I have always considered myself a progressive. But I did the grown up thing and voted for the more moderate of the candidates because I thought of the appeal to more people. However, a little part of my spirit died with that vote. It’s really hard to compromise your beliefs. I can understand how hard it is on both sides. They are our identity. To compromise on them is to tear that piece of yourself away.
I get why that’s hard to do for both sides but I feel it’s media’s responsibility to give us a combined identity of “American”, that our differences are what make us strong, that the ability to compromise is part of that identity. It’s their job to spread that message and what we get now is so one-sided.
1 Like
This 1000%.
Totally agree. And I think all the cable news channels have turned to sensationalism for ratings. I don’t want to hear either hate mongering of my side or blind worship of my side. Getting hard to find much in between.
1 Like
Ooh, this helped me! I wanted some help figuring out where I could go for news that wasn’t so biased. I’ve since moved “up the triangle”
Also, I have to credit the conversations that have been happening around here. Everyone has been so respectful, even when our views differ.
1 Like
Me either. Is that weird? Because it appears a lot of people seem to like hearing only things that confirm their beliefs. What’s wrong with us? LOL
1 Like
This, I think, is a major part of it. I think future historians will ask if the birth of social media was a net positive or net negative to the sum of human happiness.
I assume you have seatbelt laws in the US. Was such a “civil rights” fuss made when they were introduced?
3 Likes
Yes, there was such a fuss. Nearly the exact same arguments as currently made for masks today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/25/seat-belts-masks-fights-coronavirus/
2 Likes
Thanks for sharing. I agree that social media is not helping situation.
I also tend to think that there is a lot of responsibility on the individual’s part to take what any media outlet is saying with a grain of salt and try to suss out their angle. They all have an angle. Including non-profit media IMO because they still have to keep the lights on with funding from some source. Your point about continuing to be open to hearing both sides (but from “calm” sources) is spot-on.
1 Like