There’s a lot of talk about the harm social media does to society, but I’d argue that mainstream media is a FAR larger problem.

Fox News may be the biggest example, but there’s a rot in the entire news media complex and as usual it comes down to money. Journalism has increasingly been replaced with “narratives” and both-sides rhetoric, chasing after clicks and views and advertising dollars.

This is how fascism takes root in the 21st century, through late stage capitalism.

@Green_Footballs same argument happened ~20yrs ago (around take off of YouTube) and was true then too.

Bottom line was/is that the internet and social media prompt people to be active and to engage. TV and mainstream media prompt people to consume from a central source.

If the former goes awry, you get dynamics with built in potential for self correction/buffering.

The latter going awry risks the collapse of the society and its civilisation, or at least its corruption.