Here Is The... No
I decided a little while ago to start ignoring a lot of headlines & 'news' stories on the various websites I peruse for daily information
It started when, during ratings period, all the 'reality' shows were on & the tabloid media (& sometimes even the serious ones) were full of what some fabulous nobody had said or done to another fabulous nobody, usually accompanied by a thumbnail photo of one of them in a bikini. This was the first 'click-bait' I refused to go for & I've gradually weaned myself off a lot more of that sort of thing, to the point where I now look at the headline &, if it seems to tell me everything I need to know, then there's no point actually clicking on the article itself. I've found, quite often, that the headline is the only piece of real information in the article anyway - the rest is finding 5 different ways to paraphrase the same information, quote some 'source' that sounds halfway credible, find some associated, but largely unrelated 'facts' & try to stir up some outrage so the concerned netizens can vent their spleens in the Comments section. Throw in some pointless video footage you don't need to see, embed a shitload of advertising & job done - your editor will be happy for today
I submit Exhibit A. I'm pretty sure it won't matter what day you read this, the headlines there will prove my point...
By refusing to indulge this dross, I've found a few benefits... Not only has my time spent on the web been dramatically reduced, allowing me to get on with other stuff (been playing more guitar lately), I also feel better informed about the world in general, knowing the simple facts, rather than absorbing the spin
It also has to be said that I do feel a little moral superiority, demonstrably not giving an airborne act of intercourse about Bachelors, Bachelorettes, amateur Chefs, Talent shows, 'Real' Housewives... & anyone else looking to get their objectionable behaviour onto the TV, into the public consciousness & have a lucrative, but (fortunately) short-term multi-media career which burns brightly, fuelled by its own hubris, but ultimately burns up or out, while the Great Unwashed are busy looking at the next one...
It started when, during ratings period, all the 'reality' shows were on & the tabloid media (& sometimes even the serious ones) were full of what some fabulous nobody had said or done to another fabulous nobody, usually accompanied by a thumbnail photo of one of them in a bikini. This was the first 'click-bait' I refused to go for & I've gradually weaned myself off a lot more of that sort of thing, to the point where I now look at the headline &, if it seems to tell me everything I need to know, then there's no point actually clicking on the article itself. I've found, quite often, that the headline is the only piece of real information in the article anyway - the rest is finding 5 different ways to paraphrase the same information, quote some 'source' that sounds halfway credible, find some associated, but largely unrelated 'facts' & try to stir up some outrage so the concerned netizens can vent their spleens in the Comments section. Throw in some pointless video footage you don't need to see, embed a shitload of advertising & job done - your editor will be happy for today
I submit Exhibit A. I'm pretty sure it won't matter what day you read this, the headlines there will prove my point...
By refusing to indulge this dross, I've found a few benefits... Not only has my time spent on the web been dramatically reduced, allowing me to get on with other stuff (been playing more guitar lately), I also feel better informed about the world in general, knowing the simple facts, rather than absorbing the spin
It also has to be said that I do feel a little moral superiority, demonstrably not giving an airborne act of intercourse about Bachelors, Bachelorettes, amateur Chefs, Talent shows, 'Real' Housewives... & anyone else looking to get their objectionable behaviour onto the TV, into the public consciousness & have a lucrative, but (fortunately) short-term multi-media career which burns brightly, fuelled by its own hubris, but ultimately burns up or out, while the Great Unwashed are busy looking at the next one...