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Social media has remarkably small impact on Americans’ beliefs:
Social media had only a small influence on how much people believed falsehoods about candidates and issues in the last two presidential elections, a pair of new national studies found.
And Facebook -- which came under fire for spreading misinformation in the 2016 campaign -- actually reduced misperceptions by users in that election compared to those who consumed only other social media.
The results suggest that we need to put the dangers of social media spreading misinformation in perspective, said R. Kelly Garrett, author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University.
"Given the amount of attention given to the issue, it may seem surprising that social media doesn't have a larger impact on Americans' belief in falsehoods," Garrett said.
Journal Reference:
R. Kelly Garrett. Social media’s contribution to political misperceptions in U.S. Presidential elections. PLOS ONE, 2019; 14 (3): e0213500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213500
The study lets Facebook off the hook for influencing the 2016 election. Further, the study found, "Results showed that, overall, Republicans beliefs tended to be less accurate than those of Democrats, which made sense because the falsehoods were a prominent part of the Republican campaign strategy, Garrett said."
There you have it. It's science.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Thursday March 28 2019, @08:50PM (12 children)
From the referenced study:
So we are not dealing with issues raised online necessarily, or where the primary discourse on the items was online, but rather issues that made it onto the campaign trail and were judged to be inaccurate. Sounds to me like like an analysis of flooding risk by looking at roads with bridges rather than looking at how many people build homes in flood plains and then asking how many of the people along bridged roads got flooded out. (More seriously, conflating the falsehood perpetuated on the campaign trail as things which social media would influence, rather than looking at how issues which were social media based affected the campaigns). But I could be misreading that.
And the questions used are interesting.
Limitation recognitions were made that the 2016 data were more Republican-falsehood heavy, and that many of the issues had life before the election periods. No recognition that the 2012 data were about candidates and the 2016 data about issues, albeit party-divided issues AFAICT. And also an assumption that the issues discussed on the trail were the differences at the polls - although that could have been addressed and I missed that.
At what point are they comparing apples and oranges, or looking at an apple orchard to figure out how the celery is growing?
This sig for rent.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 28 2019, @10:00PM (11 children)
Here is Barack Obama, referring to his Muslim faith:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGdkqfBICw [youtube.com]
That is right from his own mouth.
His father and stepfather were both Muslim. This alone is enough; it is a Muslim belief that the child of a Muslim is inescapably Muslim.
He grew up in Indonesia, going to a muslim school. What are the chances he didn't make the statement of Muslim faith, officially and irrevocably making him Muslim?
...
Now, if you want to claim that he wasn't a very active Muslim, sure, that much seems obvious. You can probably find examples of him with pork and alcohol, and he doesn't seem to face Mecca 5 times a day. Realistically he is probably an atheist at heart... but he would still qualify as a Muslim, because you can never leave. It is also pretty damn obvious that he has some serious positive feelings toward Islam, having even directed NASA (WTF!!!) to support Islam.
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Friday March 29 2019, @12:33AM (9 children)
lol no.
You may believe that I am Muslim, but I only am if I believe I am a Muslim.
Muslim is not consequent to a human genotype. It is a label that applies to a belief system. If you don't believe, you aren't that.
Are you a [fill in the blank] just because I believe you are? Even if you are my offspring? Of course not. You are what you are, and my beliefs have absolutely nothing to do with it.
--
Reality is that thing which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 29 2019, @02:08AM (8 children)
lol no back at you.
In Islam, you learn from birth about Islam. You are presumed Muslim by virtue of having been taught. As you mature, you have two possible paths in life - remain Muslim, or become apostate. The penalty for apostasy is death. From Obama's own mouth, if Islam and the West are in conflict, he will support Islam.
Obama may not be a *good* Muslim, but he is Muslim.
Where you err, is by projecting our knowledge and values on another society. Islam values almost nothing that we value.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @02:16AM (2 children)
aaaaaaand triggered!
not even by Chelsea Manning, whose constitutional rights are being violated as we speak.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 29 2019, @02:31AM
Alright now, you can stop pulling my - uhhhh - FINGER.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @08:11AM
Actually, referring to Runaway at any given point in time as "triggered" is redundant, since he is in this state at any given time, and in fact, at all times.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @02:27PM
Oh, just like Jews, Christians, and Texans then. How stereotypical of you.
(Score: 3, Informative) by cmdrklarg on Friday March 29 2019, @04:06PM (3 children)
Religious Bullshit. "You're a member of us whether you like it or not!" I was born and raised Roman Catholic, but I sure as fuck am not anymore.
Citation? I'm not finding that with a quick search.
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 29 2019, @04:58PM (2 children)
Here's one person's take on Obama's words - and he is reasonable, in that he does point out that others have different interpretations: https://personalliberty.com/obama-really-say-will-stand-muslims/ [personalliberty.com]
Another one that is more defensive of Obama, and tries to put the quotes in context: https://www.truthorfiction.com/obama-books/ [truthorfiction.com]
Obama accusers see one thing in the very same sentence in which Obama apologists see another thing. You should know by now that I scrutinize all of the presidents, and apologize for none. I have found myself in the uncomfortable position of defending most of them from totally unfair accusations. (Sucks to be Carter, I don't recall EVER defending him!)
IMO, Obama meant exactly what he is accused of meaning with that quote. Did Obama get aggressive with ISIS/ISIL/DAESH? Uhhh - no - he didn't. Did Obama kick ass anywhere? Not much. His Naval forces bagged Osama bin Laden, but I can't recall anything else that was even moderately impressive. Remember that "What difference does it make?" Clinton's blunder happened under Obama's leadership.
Yes, I do believe that Obama's first loyalty is to Islam. You may believe differently, of course.
(Score: 2) by cmdrklarg on Friday March 29 2019, @08:34PM (1 child)
You are correct, as I do think differently.
I wasn't looking for someone's interpretation of said quote, I was looking for the ACTUAL quote you attributed to Obama, which thanks to your second link I was able to find it.
You can interpret that how you like, but I'm thinking that you are taking that statement WAY out of context. He is talking about protecting AMERICAN CITIZENS that happen to be of Arab or Pakistani descent. Much like Japanese Americans were NOT protected during WWII.
I get it that you don't like Obama, but please vilify the man for the REAL shit that he did, and not bullshit like this.
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @02:56PM
The far right is spouting fake news? Really? o_O
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @02:07PM
Sad when someone doesn't understand basic things about communication, eh AC? [psychologytoday.com]