Ok, this is not going to be a well formulated question, because the concerns behind it are nebulous in my own head.

Some assumptions I have, that clearly inform the question that follows: I believe commercial, state, and others have sophisticated methods of influencing what I see on social media and thus, in part, what I think. I also believe that someone more willing to believe in the types of conspiratorial beliefs I’ve just expressed are more likely to be manipulated by information they’re exposed to. And, yes, I fully appreciate the irony of those beliefs.

My child is adult enough that belief patterns I encourage are very unlikely to become deep patterns. That is, I’d have to work to indoctinate my son, and he’d actively resist if my indoctrination was outside of societal norms.

He didn’t grow up exposed to the social media I suspect children do now.

How does a parent inoculate a child to the influence of social media without also creating a mindset willing to believe in a nebulous “them” that controls things—a mindset, I believe, that makes a person more likely to be controlled?

  • Cyborganism
    link
    fedilink
    English
    21 year ago

    Yeah, but in the end all those people get their orders from higher up, and in the end they execute the vision of the people in charge. All of this only to get their pay to be able to afford to live with a roof over their head and food on the table.

    • @CthulhuDreamer
      link
      English
      21 year ago

      I feel the “order” is more in line with “make me a sitcome that targets young man and will make me a lot of money” rather than “propagate misogyny and stereotypes”. Both lead to Big Bang Theory though.