I understand that private entities can control what speech is put on their media. But is that a wise idea not to air alternative points of view on huge powerhouses such as Youtube, facebook, Twitter Etc?
I'm thinking specifically of this Plandemic lady. I, personally, have not viewed her video. I'm not interested in her particular point of view. I have never felt the need to investigate every conspiracy theory out there.
I do think there is a lot of paranoia in sothat might be well earned. Social media such as facebook and Youtube wield enormous power and influence over public opinion.
The government has pulled a lot of sneaky tricks on the public over the years. I don't trust them. I also don't trust the Chinese government.
I don't trust large pharmaceutical companies or the mega-corporations. Their lust for money, power and influence is insatiable.
Should we give social media giants, who practically hold monopolies on the public form, the abilities to shut down conspiracy theories? I'll bet there are some true ones out there.
Already started earlier this Spring. Thanks for bringing it up anyways. I have majored in Microbiology briefly, so I know what I am talking about and seems your colleague doesn't. Don't need to throw in CDC in here. CDC is influenced by corporate and political interests, so they will be bias against a different view unfortunately.
There’s a nursing concept called “knowing what you don’t know”. It speaks to understanding that you don’t know it all and are cognizant of that fact. Know-it-all = dangerous. And dangerous is the last thing you want associated with your name in nursing.
And we’re talking viruses in a pandemic, so yeah, the CDC is part of the conversation, along with the nih & other credible sources. Where else would you want to get information, op-eds? Non peer reviewed papers?
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
As an active member of the California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and Global Nurses United I can state that a course in Microbiology with lab is required to be licensed as a registered nurse.
To get back to the original question, I’m frankly ambivalent on the issue. On one hand, I remember the day when informed consent was considered a dangerous fringe idea. The forced sterilization of Native women, poor women, women of color was SOP and efforts to challenge the practice would be considered a “conspiracy theory” today.
On the other hand, anti-vaxxers, Covid truthers, Alex Jones cultists and the like have all caused considerable human damage in their quest to believe five impossible things before breakfast.
Does freedom of speech include the duty to publish and support untruths, paranoid fantasies and self-serving distortions of reality? Where’s the line and how do we find it?
@Wuzzie I bet it is so bad in NYC that even the nurses who are hit hard get to post tik toks of them dancing? Right... I've got friends living there and they don't know anyone who has had it, despite it being referred as the hotspot. Same with friends in Italy and Sweden. Don't hear anything from Sweden, and nothing from Portugal. Hmm.
All about the money unfortunately. Again: Do you really think that the WHO, CDC, and government really care about us? There's a reason alternative viewpoints are deleted by social media (all mainly left leaning), they don't want people to learn the truth. Their private website, so they can do whatever they want. Either way, there's a huge political division on this topic and in the world regarding this. I don't trust the fake news about any of this. And I'd be willing to say the numbers are made up or inflated from deaths that don't even correlate to coronavirus. I've kept track of my home country and there is no way in hell the numbers are as big as news or other sites say it is unless we magically got tourists all of a sudden. Family who works in hospitals there also say it is a lie as well. It does not make sense how that many "deaths" or "cases" go up in such a short span. It's set up. It's hilarious seeing people believe in it as being something horrifying. It's overblown and silencing of opinions on social media makes it much more fishy. Sweden seems to be the only one smart with this and none of my family members who live there or their acquaintances got sick. Makes you really think. I could mention my neighbors who recommended me this site on here who are both RNs (don't want them to get any negative attention here) yet they said the same thing while working at a hospital with many of the so-called "cases" labeling it a nonsense.
I mentioned how it is a coincidence, yet it gets overturned and people only seem to care about a specific phrase from the sentence that doesn't really relate to the topic. It seems nobody can take a countering opinion nowadays, let alone on an online forum. I was waiting for a person who actually seemed to have a good argument instead of yelling "nonsense" over and over again while being emotional, and the only person was Wuzzie who asked me for sources. The rest seem to be a bit butthurt to see someone else have a different opinion and automatically loses credibility, like I care on the internet. But a degree obviously makes you smarter, such as seen with Fauci. Internet superiority complex perhaps? How come instead of me always posting links, someone else post their un-bias non-fake news sources instead of going off of WHO, CDC, and MSM?
Since there is an apparent herd mentality here, I'll leave it at that, plus it's not healthy to argue a lot online. I do not want to further disrupt the flow of lemmings. I already seem to have triggered a lot of you.
Also going back to the OP- Which was a reasonable question about the point at which social media companies have a public obligation.
The cases cited as examples had the potential to do true harm. Clearly there are/were people who would alter their behavior based on information that is, objectively, faulty. Unless you have a platform that is completely open to anything regardless of how dangerous or offensive it is, you have to exercise some content control. And clearly that open platform is a bad business idea, or somebody would do it.
But, we have equally misguided poster here, and I don't think AN has a responsibility to shut them down.
I use the rant above as something that is annoying, distracting, and offensive*, but it is not dangerous in any way. Nobody will change their behavior because of it. Nobody will think that having once majored in micro the poster is an expert. And, he called it a hoax- a clear indication of his credibility. This is an example of the type of thing I don't think social media needs to curtail.
* A lot of stuff here lately borders on TOS violations. I am not insulting anybody here. I used my terms in the literal sense.
Annoying: Butthurt. Referring to somebody being offended when one is offensive as "butthurt" is annoying. Honestly, using "butthurt" is annoying anytime the grown ups are trying to have a conversation.
Distracting: The OP was worth discussing. The poster quoted has managed to change the conversation and bring out emotions. That is a distraction.
Offensive: "It's hilarious seeing people believe in it as being something horrifying." He is referring to actual footage of massive deaths.
Technically, all the social media platforms are privately owned companies and can do whatever they like.
But there is also a problem of some voices and opinions being shut down, as opposed to all the opinions and fact being brought forward so everybody can sift through and make their own decisions.
Majored in Microbiology before. Seems your colleague doesn't recall her studies much, yet screams "nonsense, nonsense, nonsense" like a madman. I have friends who are nurses across the US (one with a masters) who also say it is indeed fake. I shared some in response to Wuzzie, so feel free to take a look. I can bust out my Microbiology books that I still have saved if you want a gander.
By the way- Save a link to this thread, and be sure to include it on your resume as you apply for your first nursing job. There is a lot here for you to be proud of.
And, while this is anonymous, I hope you are taking the opportunity to also share your enlightening viewpoints in more public forums under your own name.
As someone who periodically participates in the hiring process, I can tell you that knowing your views and rationale on this issue would be very helpful in the decision making process.
Have you ever heard of the rhinoviruses? The claim that this pandemic is fake is clearly nonsense with nothing to support it. I haven't made any incorrect coronovirus claims.
On 5/11/2020 at 7:14 AM, lifelearningrn said:
This isn't a mutated common cold virus. This is an animal coronavirus that jumped species and became infectious from person to person.
It's not even close to the same thing.
Something doesn't quite add up with both of y'all's rebuttals. Hmm.
And @emtb2rn I understand where you are coming from with this. But I still believe this pandemic is a cash and power grab.
Seems to me a lot of y'all are salty and can't accept someone else has a different opinion. Thought this site was for adults but seems to me like a playground. The arguments I receive are pathetic and beneath me, so I don't see the point of wasting time. Once your prefrontal cortex has fully developed then come back and have a logical conversation instead of spewing emotional responses.
Technically, all the social media platforms are privately owned companies and can do whatever they like.
But there is also a problem of some voices and opinions being shut down, as opposed to all the opinions and fact being brought forward so everybody can sift through and make their own decisions.
I know the FCC is supposed to make some attempt to allow fair access. I personally believe that it's a bad idea to suppress even conspiracy theories. ZDoggMD also mentioned that he disagrees with the suppression of alternative viewpoints, specifically referring to the Plandemic videos being removed by Youtube.
I know the FCC is supposed to make some attempt to allow fair access. I personally believe that it's a bad idea to suppress even conspiracy theories. ZDoggMD also mentioned that he disagrees with the suppression of alternative viewpoints, specifically referring to the Plandemic videos being removed by Youtube.
So is it your opinion that private platforms have an ethical duty to publish untruths?
I know the FCC is supposed to make some attempt to allow fair access. I personally believe that it's a bad idea to suppress even conspiracy theories. ZDoggMD also mentioned that he disagrees with the suppression of alternative viewpoints, specifically referring to the Plandemic videos being removed by Youtube.
18 minutes ago, heron said:
So is it your opinion that private platforms have an ethical duty to publish untruths?
These are legit questions.
At a certain point, private entities become so large, that they do have some kind of public obligation. In this case, they are acting on what they believe is their obligation by nixxing certain garbage. Just because something is a slippery slope does not make the problem go away.
Emergent- do you believe that with no reservations? Holocaust deniers, Nazis, etc? NAMBLA?
36 minutes ago, Yokohama said:
The arguments I receive are pathetic and beneath me, so I don't see the point of wasting time.
The arguments I receive are pathetic and beneath me, so I don't see the point of wasting time. Once your prefrontal cortex has fully developed then come back and have a logical conversation instead of spewing emotional responses.
Ah, the elusive internet flounce...because that's not an emotional response at all. ?
herring_RN, ASN, BSN
3,651 Posts
? Being sarcastic I say "I should have listened to the guy quoted below.
"This is a fake pandemic with the ultimate goal of forcing a universal vaccine with digital ID on everyone" https://www.veteranstoday.com/2020/02/28/fake-pandemic-is-over-praise-for-who/
"Cruise ship passengers were suffering from radiation sickness not a virus" https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=jdIZsDpwrYg
He also said that NASA kidnapped children and sent them to Mars to start a slave colony: https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=JofW2P0ZIZQ