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Technology's' Myth: The Rumor Relay

There are two opposing opinions about the advancement of technology in the 21st century- either you fear the machine as evil or you are genuinely excited about the future of the human race. Like it or not, technology and time are accepted momentum's we also call this “progress”. The Industrial Age has been replaced by what has been coined as the Innovation Age. And now that I have mentioned coinage, it would be neglectful not to acknowledge the alchemical concept (money) as ‘here to stay’also (and an influencer for either side of this argument).  Most simplified, these two sides of the spectrum could also be summarized as; some feel we are either destroying the world and messing with someone’s Divine perfect creation, or we are getting closer to understanding the riddle(s) of humanity, we are evolving or devolving. Who knows? I guess that theorem will prove itself. Time will tell.

Image By United States Geological Survey [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

One must admit, at least in the immediate sense, Google has done some wonderful things for society being an advertising company.  They are brave, they are creators, experimenters, archivists, bullet proof messengers, and argument squelchers.  I grew up in a musical household without an ear for music what-so-never-I could not and cannot play anything-even whistle.  My father was a guitar player in a rock n roll band and from that experience I received a subliminal stellar encyclopedic index for songs and artists of the era (of course that was not the only side effect). I did not know at the time that I was accumulating any useful knowledge until I became an adult and was able to name the band of every single song that came on the classic rock radio station (okay radio? I know -I’m dating myself).  The biggest problem with this (aside from it not being really useful) was when I came across someone who claimed to know incorrectly who the artist was/is, incorrect lyrics or other misinformation of a song playing. Without Google, this type of misinformation was allowed to exist and persist. Now that we are truly a few miles into the drive on the Information Super Highway, we can safely reflect in our rearview mirror that Google has been a wonderful mediator, a dispute settler, and anonymous messenger of “truth” (and opinion, interpretation, information), so we should be getting closer as a human race to eliminating all the misinformation, right?

“The World Economic Forum listed massive digital misinformation as one of the main risks for modern society.”

On the positive side of the pro-tech argument, now that everyone, even children, are walking around with computers on their person (i.e. smartphones), and now that information can be shared globally instantaneously, and now that we have ways to sift through big data without pencils or chalkboards, we should be getting smarter, perhaps evolving as a species even, right? With children nowadays able to look up anything theoretically and find an abundance of correct and in-depth information, one would think this fast-forward leap into education would illicit intelligent generational change, and maybe it has.

Mark Zuckerberg (and growing bushel of others) jumped the college ship early because they obviously had acquired all that they needed from higher education or high-risk college investments. Ironically, for proof that ensuing generations getting definitively smarter, we must now turn to higher education.  In a study published February 2015 by French researchers the question of “Science vs. Conspiracy: Collective Narratives in the Age of Misinformation” took a look at the prevalence of conspiracy theories (such as Illuminati, chemtrails, reptilians, etc.) specifically through social media or “On-line Sharing Networks” (OSN) and the culmination of what they term ‘collective intelligence’ consisting of unsubstantiated rumors and conspiracy theories. Are we smart enough to sift through what is fact and what is fiction?

“The growth of knowledge fostered by an interconnected world together with the unprecedented acceleration of scientific progress has exposed the society to an increasing complexity to explain reality and its phenomena.”
Image By Meisowave [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

The study was undertaken at the end of 2014 their core sample focused solely on a set of Facebook users in order to ‘test potential biases’. The results of their somewhat subjective study (at least in interpreting likes and shares) are predictable in a cultural sense, meaning conspiracies that have close ties with a region or historically in their culture (favored by) tend to be easier to spread types of misinformation based on socio-cultural factors (i.e. nationalism).  The other main contributor to the continuance of these theories or misinformation is also psychologically (philosophically) related, not that the rumor mongers or spreaders are crazy in the head, but as a matter of misunderstanding the facts of a complex problem. In any complicated story we have a tendency to want to boil it down to concentrate, focus on the moral or specific ‘relevant’ details, this is what leads to erroneous information. 

“Our results show that polarized communities emerge around distinct types of contents and usual consumers of conspiracy news (tend) to be more focused and self-contained on their specific contents.”

Oversimplification can often lead to judgment errors, (any misunderstanding needs resolve in our minds, even if the wrong a resolution is accepted subliminal or intuitively).  They say, "bad press is good publicity" or something like that, which reaffirms this same concept, even untruths planted where they are given room to grow will often flourish or become overgrown (i.e. exaggeration) . This type of abundance can be equated with harmless gossip, a fish tale or little fib, a misunderstanding even. Most of us remember "The Telephone Game" from elementary school, which begins by one whispering some tidbit into a neighbor's ear (sitting in a circle game) which becomes comically distorted by the time it gets back to you- do they even play this anymore? They should but change the name to Rumor Relay, or Reality TV. 

We are gluttons for entertainment, we have guilty pleasures, we have Reality TV as I mentioned (not considered an advancement, progress or innovation) hence, we like lies, there are juicy, tart, sour, a taste of flavor town, but often leave a lingering aftertaste. Lies, rumors, gossip, and stories or myths have a visible effect, they remind us that others lives are worse than our own. The fact that we are still rumor mongers, gossip gobblers, and word weavers, as I am certain even cavemen were, does not mean we are devolving, or that information to everything in our hands (portable), anywhere at any time is now accessible (with wi-fi) has been futile, it simply means we more than like, we need these textural human stories and layered myths.
“No science will ever replace myth, and a myth cannot be made out of any science.” –Carl Jung
Despite the need to stand out as unique and special individuals among our group, our breed also has a strong need to belong, this is integral to our sense of security.  The need to agree (belong) with others echoes this need whether we are aware of it or not we are constantly striving for versions of us.  We really like like-minded people best, they are, of course, the smartest. Social networks have allowed virtually all the continents to connect again between satellites instead of Pangea; everything from learning what interests us, connecting to people and places to getting to see incredible photos of things we would not (may not?) have never seen and heard stories we may have never heard-if we listen. Good or bad, it has also allowed people to be someone else, or anonymous if they choose. Not everyone has the ability to properly operate the guise of autonomy.  All of these factors play into the continuance in popularity of conspiracy theories on the internet-where as a source it is the start of rumors in high school, it is the all ages veritable writing on the bathroom stall, to be shared, true or not, disgusting and outrageous, but most often anonymously 'posted'. 

Image by Marjory Collins (1912-1985) in [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

No matter how smart, or how much information we have access to or are able to receive it is still a hard-wired human function to process it and distribute it responsibly or not-not everyone is responsible. One thing we can all agree on, regardless of how you feel about the evolution of our society, or tech ethics,  is we all are seeking fulfillment, richness or seek meaning (flavor, texture, an experience, the story).  Myths are the invention of mankind without the employment or necessity of technology to create meaning, to add color to facts, to explain the unexplainable. Myths are truly the collective narratives of our histories. Just like conspiracy theories, myths will persist on the internet, around the kitchen table, around the water cooler, around town, etc.. Our technological savvy species still savors the story and always will. We started it and likely we won't be the ones who get to write The End. 

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