We’ve seen sea-changes before: some concept, some invention, some new way of doing things that has an incredible impact on our society. And the lives not just of this generation, but many future generations.
Social media is one example.
In an obviously apocryphal story, a man wrote:
“I enjoy social media like Twitter and Facebook so much that I decided to have the same fun in meat space as in virtual space. So now when I walk down the street, I tell everyone what I am doing and where I am going and what I had for lunch and show the passers-by the cute pictures of my grandchildren and my cats. I tell them what I like to eat, and share recipes. I give thumbs-up to people I see do neat things – even if I don’t know them. I tell strangers I really like what they are wearing. And that I think they have great smiles.
“And you know what? It’s working! I’m being “friended” by a lot of people and I am even gaining followers now. In fact, right now, I’m being followed by FOUR people as I walk down the street doing my thing. Really nice folks, too: two cops, a private detective, and a psychiatrist!”
Now, don’t get us wrong. Social media is NOT inherently evil – it is a tool. No different than email or regular (snail) mail or radios or television. BUT it can be easily put to bad, evil uses. And its use – especially addiction and misuse – of social media can and has created many problems.
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Winter is coming… time to move?
Thanks to Steve C who told us about this hilarious send-up ad (our opinion here at TPOL) by the Russians urging people that it is “time to move to Russia.”
The short video advert has gotten a lot of mixed reviews – my thought is that (as several have written) it is a great self-parody: satire. The voiceover, the pictures chosen, even some of the phrasing, all point that direction. In many ways, it resembles the old heavy-handed Soviet propaganda that is certainly not a modern Russian style of doing things.
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