The Modern Information Paradox

[Cerberus]

Isn't it crazy that we have so much information at our fingertips, we are bombarded with messages, both direct and indirect in these modern times, and yet, the quality of much of this information is very questionable? In fact, one could even argue that a dumbing down of society is occuring as people either switch off or selectively attend to only that info which is non-threatening, non-confronting and suits one's own biases.

How do people get to the truth these days, are people really interested?

Even more of an issue, is how can an important message cut through all the "noise" of the modern media and out-moded ideas??

Thoughts?

[Bowman]

Hi Cerberus,

How do people get to the truth these days, are people really interested?

I think you've hit the nail on the head. What is the truth? The vast majority of information whether it be through popular media or through specialist routes, such as this forum, is opinion, not necessarily truth. Even the IPCC reports talk of probabilities in their predictions for the future and the causes of Global warming, not truth.

And why should people be interested? Life in the developed world is just too easy, obesity not hunger is a problem, drugs and alcohol not cholera or typhoid, the housing ladder not the workhouse, waiting lists not basic vaccination, need I go on? I think people are vaguely interested, but the problem is that they don't really have to be in order to continue life as it is.

I think that until people generally realize that they need to take more responsibility for their own and their children's future, they won't be particularly interested, and until they are interested they read the headline that reports a "strong possibility" that climate change is caused by human activity and won't bother reading the IPCC report that qualifies this as 90% certain.

And I really think that is the crux to all this sustainabilty stuff, people generally need to take responsibility for their own future, and with responsibility should come authority. Until the nanny-state, the dumbing-down-media, and consumer-obsessed-businesses, hand back authority and responsibility to the individual people just won't interested.

[Cerberus]

Nice reply Bowman, thanks.

I agree, in Westernised society, people are more concerned about how many songs they can fit on their iPod than in how many polar bears are starving to death. Or in how many $$ they can save if they buy 2 for 1 pizza on Tuesdays. I personally find this very frustrating.

Do you think the important info is "gagged" in the media by advertising interests? I've never really thought of myself as a conspiracy theorist, but I am starting to wonder in my older age. These environmental issues have been around for yonks, but nothing seems to change. People think if they remember to turn of an extra lightglobe every now and then, they are doig their bit for the environment... then they go out in the 4WD in the city to buy a triple whopper big mac environmentally disastrous dinner!!! Argghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't get it! Why is the media silent on the BIG issues???

[Bowman]

Hi Cerberus,

Maybe as Jack Nicholson said "you can't handle the truth". I wonder whether for many people being bought up in an environment where all the information they receive is sanitized, cleaned up, and made nicely consumable, people just can't deal with the rather messy complicated world we live in.

I don't think there's any kind of conspiracy, could it just be that everything, information included needs to be consumable these days. Has the consumer society developed to such a point that information needs to be washed, graded, and packaged, just like carrots in the supermarket?

[Cerberus]

hmmm... but carrots are so benign

[Bowman]

Sadly, might not the paradox be that information and truth have become yet more "fast moving consumer goods".


(My 5 year old certainly doesn't see carrots as benign, scourge of the dinner table maybe, but not benign http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/f...lies/frown.gif
:( )

[Cerberus]

he he.... dipped in hommus they are great!

Back on topic.. so you think info has to be given in easy bite size snippets for it to be processed these days? Maybe that is a big part of the problem.

There are theories that advocate the shortening of the human attention span due to too much TV! Then again, modern society seems to value looks and possessions more than a fine and thoughtful mind, so perhaps people just don't see any benefit in learning more than the absolute minimum they need to get through life... (eg: as long as I know what the coolest brand of shoes are, I am accepted by my peers and that is what really counts...)??? Maybe the dumbing down of society is the best way for corporations (err.. and governments with economic interests) to manipulate the market. (see?? conspiracy theory raising it's ugly head again!! yikes!)

[Bowman]

Reading through some of the other posts on this forum and having a bit of time to think over the weekend a lot of the comments and threads seem to tie in together.

I think it's probable that the vast majority of people always have and always will meander through life, I doubt whether this is any more true today than it would have been even in previous centuries or millennia. I suspect most people take the easiest route from A to B with the minimum amount of thought required, whether this is the school run, information consumption, or in the past putting bread on the table.

Humans are notoriously suspicious of change and innovation, most people do what they need to or what is easiest at that particular second in time, this whole sustainability thing doesn't need the Global population to understand and take part on a conscious level. What it does need is leaders and innovators who can make change easy, make change thoughtless, put it this way "how much information does it take to change a light bulb?" and yet what percentage of light bulbs are energy saving?

[isenhand]

Originally Posted by Bowman

I think it's probable that the vast majority of people always have and always will meander through life, I doubt whether this is any more true today than it would have been even in previous centuries or millennia. I suspect most people take the easiest route from A to B with the minimum amount of thought required, whether this is the school run, information consumption, or in the past putting bread on the table.

I think that’s right. I will also add that people tend to seek out things that confirm what they already believe and ignore what does not support their own view.

Originally Posted by Bowman

this whole sustainability thing doesn't need the Global population to understand and take part on a conscious level. What it does need is leaders and innovators who can make change easy, make change thoughtless, put it this way "how much information does it take to change a light bulb?" and yet what percentage of light bulbs are energy saving?

Yeap (so long as those leaders are not politicians), one such example would involve forming a network of sustainable communities. You don’t need everyone to do that but it will start the whole of society to move towards a more sustainable society.

[Bowman]

I'm not sure this quite on topic but:

In other threads I stressed the need for people in general to take more personal responsibility rather than hiding behind the skirts of the nanny state. Now I seem to be suggesting that what they really need is hand holding and buffering from the reality of the world. Strangely I think both? Is this another paradox?