It amazes me that some people are irritated and even surprised that facebook manipulated their emotions. We are manipulated all the time, every minute of every day, that is what advertising is all about and everything is advertising. Apparently they sent negative news feeds to some accounts and positive ones to others. Like the sky is falling or it is a clear blue day, we are affected by our senses and respond accordingly. Gee, ya think? They spent money on these experiments?
The bottom line is they want to find out what it takes to sell us something. A car might make us feel younger, more powerful, even sexy, huh? and in a bad mood we might buy more ice cream? It is never enough to make a product, it must be marketed and sold and for us to buy something we surely don't need takes a lot of manipulation.
But what happens when that is not the bottom line? The same statistics and information they garner from these studies can be used to alter our political persuasion. Yes, we are that easily persuaded and emotions play a huge roll in American Politics today. Emotions are easier to manipulate than intellect and allow us to continue our passive behavior. The far left and the far right "news" stations and radio programs are both equally guilty of this and we seem to like it as there are always more and more of these types of programs. At least with both sides we don't actually have to do anything, God forbid, like read a book!
"Sheeple" is that coined word that we have become and facebook, political persuasions, even hate radio and advertising are not our enemies. Lil' Abner got it right, "we have met the enemy and he is us"!
The bottom line is they want to find out what it takes to sell us something. A car might make us feel younger, more powerful, even sexy, huh? and in a bad mood we might buy more ice cream? It is never enough to make a product, it must be marketed and sold and for us to buy something we surely don't need takes a lot of manipulation.
But what happens when that is not the bottom line? The same statistics and information they garner from these studies can be used to alter our political persuasion. Yes, we are that easily persuaded and emotions play a huge roll in American Politics today. Emotions are easier to manipulate than intellect and allow us to continue our passive behavior. The far left and the far right "news" stations and radio programs are both equally guilty of this and we seem to like it as there are always more and more of these types of programs. At least with both sides we don't actually have to do anything, God forbid, like read a book!
"Sheeple" is that coined word that we have become and facebook, political persuasions, even hate radio and advertising are not our enemies. Lil' Abner got it right, "we have met the enemy and he is us"!
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