Are You Rewarding Negative Behaviour?
I don’t often write these sort of posts but this is something I see happening in increasing numbers and I want to address it. In news outlets, social media and even in everyones personal life, we are in a toxic cycle of rewarding bad and harmful behaviour. We reward people who try to one up each other with the most idiotic stunts, people who treat us like shit, and people who say the most scandalous things. We reward them with attention, which humans always crave for, financial gains and personal favours.
Make a “funny” video of you acting like the most obnoxious bitch or eat washing detergent, and we’ll give you fame and sponsorships. Take my money. Be a Prince Charming for fifteen minutes, then ghost me for two weeks, come back as Prince Charming for ten minutes. Let me open my legs. Rinse and repeat.
“Journalism is dead”
“News are shit”
“Why is this news!?”
“That person is an idiot, why is she getting air time?”
I’m sure most of us hear this, and probably say things like that on a regular basis. I certainly do. I think I don’t just speak for myself when I say that I do feel like journalisms is dead and what ever is broadcasted widely, is absolute bullshit. If you want to find good articles and investigative journalism that is not corrupted by a big corporation, you have to do a lot of digging and be very critical, essentially, use your own brain.
What people often fail to realise is that while it’s easy to lay blame on the news outlets that fill our eye and ears with this bullshit, we forget to look beyond that and ask why is it happening. The answer is quite simple in my opinion; it’s because of us, the consumer. Who ever clicks the article, opens the picture, buys the trashy newspaper, watches scripted “reality” tv, and shares the memes. YOU are the reason why there is more and more of this bullshit widely available on every media outlet.
There is a huge machine behind all of this that is paying close attention to every metric possible to see what makes the sale. Every click, every view, every opened link, every share, it’s all calculated and counted together, and brought to the people who make the decisions. And by their metrics, it sure looks like you are really into cat videos, memes, leftist propaganda and watching the Kardashians. Is this what you really want?
Remember, all publicity is good publicity. It doesn’t matter that you share an article and write “Omg I do not understand why anyone agrees with this persons opinions”, because you already clicked it open and shared it. That is two points for who ever published it. Then your friend opens the link too, and maybe shares it to another friend. Two more points. Think about that, you are on the loosing side.
Be the change
A cliche or a classic, but if you want to see a change in this world, you have to start by being the change. Don’t lay blame on others, don’t try to change the society as a whole, it’s impossible really. You change yourself, your behaviour and your life, it really is the only thing you can realistically do.
I’m constantly fighting against this toxic behaviour in my own life and trying to make sure I don’t do anything to reward such bad actions that rot our society even more. I don’t read sensation driven news (so basically all news), I don’t watch reality tv, I don’t follow social media stars that have their 15 minutes of fame because of something stupid they did, and I don’t welcome someone into my life with open arms if they are only coming to take something without giving anything back.
I specifically find information about the subjects I’m interested in, I look at art that excites me, I watch the shows that entertain me, I interact with people that have a positive effect on me. By no means am I perfect, but every day there are thousands of decisions to make and at least being conscious about the actions I take, I am mostly making decisions that better my life.
The end is near
I think we are soon reaching a tipping point, we have gone too far with the liberal, gender neutral, colour blind, world citizen, meme-loving and sensation news driven environment that a change is coming. At some point, the scales are gonna tip drastically to a different direction, and I can’t wait for it. It is not going to be pretty and it’s not going to be peaceful.
By writing this, I hope to make you think your everyday actions and what you give attention to. What is it that makes your heart race in a good way, and what makes your blood boil, and which one are you channeling your attention towards the most.
Decent thoughts. Thought about this in a dtube post yesterday.
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What a coincidence, I'll go watch it now :)
News is shit. Or at least the type presented to us via mainstream media.
And yes, it's likely our fault for tuning in at 10pm every night to hear 25 minutes of depressing activity around the world. Then for the last minute they'll add an 'and finally', and present something more uplifting, as if that makes up for the sadness over the past half hour!
Some people might say its uncaring, or ignorant to not tune in, but for things I can do little about around the world, I just don't see the point in saddening yourself. If there is a problem local to me that i can potentially help with, I'll try.
I think 'isarmoewe' is wondering about the 'end being near' and it not being pretty or peaceful. I see the people not interested in the toxic rubbish in the media as mainly passive - i'm not going to publicly revolt against, just continue shaking my head at a distance :)
Now, back to the butt snaps please :P
People need to learn basic economy and basic knowledge, if they see a reality TV show to "make fun of it and how bad it is" they are adding views to that, views that will, in turn, tell the TV channels that, that reality TV is very famous, and they will pump more money into it!
People complain that the TV channels don't put any documentaries, or any education videos in them, ofc they don't! Most people don't consume them, if they aren't consumed and seen they aren't making money to the TV channel, if they aren't making money to the TV channel they will change those videos to ones that are watched, and most of the popular programs are braindead rotten ones like reality TV shows "Secret Stories" and such...
I mostly watch the history channel and national geographic... and I pick my TV shows to be as mind stimulating as I can! Still, need to find a good place to get good news from around the world, Steem is a good source for most news, but I would love to get something more "professional"
This is a great post and I agree. It's time to tune out from the sort of behaviours you mention, to turn off media outlets and shun actions that really should be repellant to us, not attractive. The problem is that most people don't have much in their life of their own making and so fill it with the sort of shit that you mention. People are afraid of missing out on something and so they tune into (and buy into) this sort of thing; Jump on the bandwagon as such and other people's ideas, ideals and opinions.
It's like being plugged into the Matrix. Many prefer the fake and false reality that is presented to them rather than the reality of their own lives.
I like where your head's at.
#unplug #sheeple #assholes
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Thank you Galen! I think the major problem is that people haven't done much soul searching and getting to know themselves, thus not really knowing what they enjoy and want from life. Some are watching a reality show, thinking that it's entertainment, yet they feel resentment, envy, anger, and all sorts of negative emotions while "enjoying" it. Doesn't make much sense to me.
You're right...For many people it's easier to be lead along rather than forge their own path. Corporations, government and media rely on it.
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You just summed up why I quit Facebook. I have friends who still want to read things to me off of Facebook or summarize some awful crap they read. I always very sternly warn them not to tell me about negative things happening on there. I quit for a reason, and I don't want that kind of influence in my life. But they always act like I am weird for not wanting to listen to it. From now on, I will send them this post every time they do that.
Partly why I wrote this post today was because one of my friends send me two different shitty news this morning and I had to tell him off. I’ll be honored if I can speak on your behalf on this matter.
Very good post, You touched very delicate but extremely stinky subjects... I have the same thoughts and feelings... hope one day we will see some revolution which will change the world and put the evolution on the right tracks!
I believe nature will take its course and all of this nonsense will die down.
I don't have a tv for years now. news was shit for years but with access to all sides of the story with internet we can see how much. i seen somewhere that there was a studie of news paper that only published positive news, and had to close down after few months.
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I do watch tv, or more like just selecting what I want to see from Netflix or HBO, regular tv is garbage. We have all the information in the world, but not many choose to do the research themselves, and opt out to read the ready-made and manipulated versions.
just realised that meaning of tv changed from the time i throw it out 😁 i do watch series and movies on my pc. and some "comedy" shows. not sure who said it, reminds me of carlin, "we used to watch politicians for info and comedians for laughs, now it is the opposite"
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Wise words. ❤️
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Thanks! :)
So, for a conclusion, you want more people acting toxicly against each other?
I hope you're kidding.
What, no? I want people to stop rewarding toxic behavior by giving them more attention.
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