I have tried uninstalling Instagram and Facebook from my handphone but failed to stay away, for more than a day at max.
The key reason is the habit to carry my handphone to loo. This is unlike me some years back. Back then, the newspaper was my reading source before heading to loo.
Yesterday, I uninstalled Instagram again. I was longing to be distraction, free of scrolling reels every few seconds.
Why Am I glued to Instagram reels despite experiencing more stress and strain post indulging in it?
Maybe my System 1 (the mind that Daniel Kahneman talks about) gains control and I too lazy too do anything more meaningful when in loo. 😂
”It’s good that you realise this problem with you.” A consolation to myself.
Today, my System 2 is a winner. I instead read few articles on Medium about misinformation and disinformation.
I read five of them including a research paper on role of partisan media in influencing elections.
I am enlightened about misinformation, disinformation, and partisan media and agenda setting, framing, and context collapse, etc.
I make notes of my personal experience of experiencing similar instances in my life.
a. Kala Bandar (Black Monkey) in 2001. I remember news channels showing people not sleeping in Delhi and awake whole night fearing attack from Black Monkey. This event is called “Mass hysteria” by Sociologists.
b. Clapping may kill virus : I was happy welcoming a break from routine to
office with a strict lockdown in place in my city in 2020. We had this mandate from our PM to clap and beat utensils praising our health workers. But, some news channels had astrologers commenting that the timing and day is auspicious for this as vibrations will kill the virus.
c. Farmers agitation is sponsored: Thousands of farmers opposed the farm laws and agitated for a year near borders of Delhi. The partisan media farmed the whole event as anti-national and sponsored, to favor rich farmers.
d. My Grandfather relied on BBC London news more than state-run Doordarshan channel for updates on demolition of Babri Masjid. He believed Doordarshan news hid facts while BBC London radio gave a true account of the incident.
I share links to three most insightful articles read by me post reading the post from Barack Obama:
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