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How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

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Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#221

Post by jononor »

maxxxxx wrote: post #20
api wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect fear and outrage releases some natural addictive brain chemicals. The fear and outrage porn industry certainly resembles an addictive substance scene.

At some point you should start getting bored with it. Same with porn. For a while it's interesting but then it just gets boring. Obviously I have no first hand experience watching pron. I only repeat what I hear from others :-)

Thing is that while the addictive use becomes 'boring' after a while (desensitized), an addict will still continue doing it. Often will go more extreme trying to compensate. Goes for porn, heroin, adrenaline and probably social media.

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#222

Post by karllager »

smsm42 wrote: post #210
karllager wrote: post #80

As a kid, I grew up in a country with almost no advertising. Repeat after me: No ads in the streets, in the TV, in the radio, nowhere. One day we found a magazine (from another country), which contained ads. Two people smoking cigarettes in a strangely alien world, some kind of jungle - or a safari, maybe. This image was so strange in many ways: Why is it there in a magazine, that was about something completely diffe…

> Image a day in your life without coming across an ad I have had such days. I read a lot of stuff online, and I have adblockers. My entertainment is supplied by books and TV, where I watch either channels like Netflix or recorded shows, where I can skip through commercials. It's not exactly not encountering ads - and I surely encounter billboards when I drive around (though I don't think I can recall any of them, th…

> That is preferable to the society which underproduces things and where large part of your survival depends on you skill in finding how to satisfy basic needs - food, shelter, etc. I'd rather watch ads than be hungry.

And that is perfectly correct. One thing I might add is that capitalism looks much like communism in the long run as companies merge, fuse and become bigger and bigger, because centralisation and control are the key for efficiency. Wasn't it in the news recently? One of the biggest companies on this planet on a mission to get a share of every transaction on this planet.

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#223

Post by breakingcups »

SimbaOnSteroids wrote: post #169
dageshi wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think they will, they'll turn off the news completely and follow "news" about other stuff instead. Sports, video games, hobbies, they'll ignore current events and politics or anything else they might find anxiety inducing. That's what I do anyway, I'm much happier for it.

Could we build a plugin that alters headlines to reflect reality?

That would be fantastic. I'd love a plugin like that.

There is a problem in curation / moderation though. Who do you trust with correcting headlines? The public, with voting? Easily manipulated still.

Another problem this doesn't correct is the selection of what events to report on. To use an example from the article, terrorism would still dominate your news feed.

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#225

Post by SimbaOnSteroids »

breakingcups wrote: post #223
SimbaOnSteroids wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could we build a plugin that alters headlines to reflect reality?

That would be fantastic. I'd love a plugin like that. There is a problem in curation / moderation though. Who do you trust with correcting headlines? The public, with voting? Easily manipulated still. Another problem this doesn't correct is the selection of what events to report on. To use an example from the article, terrorism would still dominate your news feed.

For the terrorism example you could have a nifty bot that keeps track of worldwide terror stats and local terror stats and report something like: odds of dying in terror attack rise from .00005% to .00006% (obv made up number) after {city} attacks. Would have to figure out how to do this while still respecting those who were affected though.

Or for clickbait science headlines immediately report the statistical significance of the cited paper/credibility of journal based on the number of citations that journal recieves from other scientists.

Some types of articles would be tougher than others for sure but that doesn't mean we couldn't grab at the low hanging fruit.

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#226

Post by throwaway47861 »

maxxxxx wrote: post #3

I don't understand why so many people are addicted to outrage, anger and fear. For a while I played along but then I quickly realized that all this stuff is manufactured to manipulate people. Now I can't even stand watching CNN or watching a campaign ad.

Because they have no lives and posting emotional responses on the internet makes them feel important. Pretty simple.

And of course they'll rather challenge you to a duel with kitchen knives before admitting the real reason.

So yeah, emotional creatures. Most of the "humans" are more like "animals in human body form".

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#228

Post by jancsika »

threatofrain wrote: post #201
jancsika wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had to work a shit job like grocery store clerk, I'd much prefer an ineffectual dolt of a boss telling me to smile than I would a German realist boss telling me a smile isn't a requirement of my employment.

Or you'll have an American realist Walmart boss telling you to "cheer" up. I see it as unvalued emotional labor, and degrading to those who do it as they are non-negotiably expected to do it. Some people are into this, and some aren't -- but if you are poor and working retail, then you must smile and sometimes sing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOkQJm_UGM4

> Or you'll have an American realist Walmart boss telling you to "cheer" up.

I don't think that video exemplifies the American stereotype you think it does:

1. One of the people recording this was singing sarcastically-- purposefully off key, and in a tone that clearly signals to other Americans that he is mocking the thing he is being made to do. He also posted it on Youtube to criticize Walmart.

2. Most of the people aren't really participating. Look at that person who is literally an aisle away from the action! There's also a group just watching the person who isn't in uniform make yet another recording.

3. Do you really think the guy forced to play the lead Walmart cheerleader to that un-licensed Queen ripoff is a realist? Do you think he feels anything but shame and embarrassment that his most famous moment is a pathetic (and ineffectual) attempt to wring a tiny bit more productivity out of his no-benefits part-time staff?

4. Have you ever been to a Walmart? The cashiers at Walmart don't smile, and rarely look up at you.

Compare to:

"Guten Morgen. Your corporate overlords have seen fit to allow you to be the only unionized Walmart in the world for another day. So give thanks, and continue not smiling as that would otherwise betray a transcendental lie. That's the German Walmart Guarantee!"

edit: forgot that German nouns are capitalized

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#229

Post by mcappleton »

hkmurakami wrote: post #70
mcappleton wrote: post #63

I'm very glad I found Hacker news. Sometimes I read the news just cause I'm bored. Now I can just read hacker news which helps me be a better coder instead of draining me of emotional energy

HN is hardly devoid of fear and anger and biases and prejudice and self interest. In fact it's pretty much filled with it -- but not quite overflowing with it like many other popular textual outlets. And with all due respect, this thread isn't helping you become a better coder. If anything it's stoking our emotional needs, just in a different manner than say CNN.

Lol, what you are saying is true, but I actually do find some content about coding here!

Also I appreciate the discussions. Instead of one agenda rammed down mu throats, I get to see the honest opinions of a lot of people.

Re: How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit

#230

Post by danovan »

apexalpha wrote: post #220
smsm42 wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Image a day in your life without coming across an ad I have had such days. I read a lot of stuff online, and I have adblockers. My entertainment is supplied by books and TV, where I watch either channels like Netflix or recorded shows, where I can skip through commercials. It's not exactly not encountering ads - and I surely encounter billboards when I drive around (though I don't think I can recall any of them, th…

>(though I don't think I can recall any of them, the mind filters them out by now), Oh no no no. That is not how that works. Coca cola doesn't put up signs, ads, billboards, coaters and napkin holders with their logo on it to get you to stop and think about coca cola. No. What they do it place their logo next to something that seems happy. Next to someone smiling or put it up in situations where people are happy. Rel…

That's interesting. Any good book on that topic that you would recommend?
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