Non-IT News Thread
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@black3dynamite said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/reader-center/free-range-parenting-outside-united-states.html
It wasn't exactly like that when I was young.
Nope, nothing like that when I was young. America has really changed.
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And it is totally true, living in other countries, I've never experienced anywhere with the "hide the kids away" mentality of America. It's completely unique.
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@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
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@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
Our culture has been driven by fear rather than rationality for a number of years now. We hear the stories of the < 1% of experiences, think we don't want that to happen to us/our children, and take every possible precaution to prevent it without evaluating the true cost. I say we because I am also in this category too.
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@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
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Dubai tourist racks up £36k in speeding fines in rented supercar - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45085991
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
To me the main blame is the media - they over sensationalize the bad things to sell media time. which puts it more in the mind of the public, which drives more fear.
When I was a kid - I did all those things the commentors said - going to the store alone at a young age, being home alone at a young age - being left in the car at 6 yrs old.
Top the media with with busy body know it alls, and we just have major issues. Someone doesn't like something, well - today they can post that on social media, find the other 0.001% of people who agree with them and the have a huge must be heard voice. It ridiculous.
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@dashrender Entirely false. The problems is parents who don't know that violence and all crime in general has decreased by about 50% since the 80s uin the US. This means that your children today are safer than when you were kids in the 70s/80s and your parents were kids in the 50s and 60s.
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@momurda said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender Entirely false. The problems is parents who don't know that violence and all crime in general has decreased by about 50% since the 80s uin the US. This means that your children today are safer than when you were kids in the 70s/80s and your parents were kids in the 50s and 60s.
Don't let the facts get in the way of people's feelings - and the media frenzy we have today. Even if those numbers are true (I didn't look them up) they don't matter. They don't matter because the media is making it seem like we are on the edge of disaster - that the hordes are storming the castle, and we're to all be killed.
What I said isn't false, people feel this way, hence the problem.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
To me the main blame is the media - they over sensationalize the bad things to sell media time. which puts it more in the mind of the public, which drives more fear.
All media sensationalizes. It's the duty of all adults to learn and understand statistics, use common sense, and not be swayed by media. Especially when media reports true events accurately. If the media says "five children abducted in America this year" everyone has a duty to either sit down and understand the math, or to ignore the stat and not react to it.
The media is only at fault if they are lying. If people don't understand basic facts, they have only themselves to blame.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
To me the main blame is the media - they over sensationalize the bad things to sell media time. which puts it more in the mind of the public, which drives more fear.
All media sensationalizes. It's the duty of all adults to learn and understand statistics, use common sense, and not be swayed by media. Especially when media reports true events accurately. If the media says "five children abducted in America this year" everyone has a duty to either sit down and understand the math, or to ignore the stat and not react to it.
The media is only at fault if they are lying. If people don't understand basic facts, they have only themselves to blame.
The primary news sources rarely give those numbers. Sure newspapers (dieing) might give them, but the nightly news frequently doesn't. They don't really want you informed - they want you frantic.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
To me the main blame is the media - they over sensationalize the bad things to sell media time. which puts it more in the mind of the public, which drives more fear.
All media sensationalizes. It's the duty of all adults to learn and understand statistics, use common sense, and not be swayed by media. Especially when media reports true events accurately. If the media says "five children abducted in America this year" everyone has a duty to either sit down and understand the math, or to ignore the stat and not react to it.
The media is only at fault if they are lying. If people don't understand basic facts, they have only themselves to blame.
The primary news sources rarely give those numbers.
They don't need to. If the give them, people need to understand the math. If they don't give them, then people need to be adults and understand that without them there is no basis for concern.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
They don't really want you informed - they want you frantic.
The issue cannot be the media, unless they are lying. The issue has to be with people who don't want to be informed, but desire to be frantic.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@bnrstnr said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller Do you think that US parents are too paranoid about their children or do you think there are solid reasons for these massively different cultural behaviors?
I think both. The US is a very scary place compared to much of the world. But not at all to the degree that American parents are fearful of it. But because of the fear in the US, we've created other real dangers that we really do have to be afraid of.
To me the main blame is the media - they over sensationalize the bad things to sell media time. which puts it more in the mind of the public, which drives more fear.
All media sensationalizes. It's the duty of all adults to learn and understand statistics, use common sense, and not be swayed by media. Especially when media reports true events accurately. If the media says "five children abducted in America this year" everyone has a duty to either sit down and understand the math, or to ignore the stat and not react to it.
The media is only at fault if they are lying. If people don't understand basic facts, they have only themselves to blame.
The primary news sources rarely give those numbers.
They don't need to. If the give them, people need to understand the math. If they don't give them, then people need to be adults and understand that without them there is no basis for concern.
Need to/ should/ do - these things don't apply to the masses - I hope you understand that.
Saying it time and time again won't make it happen just because you want it to. -
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
They don't really want you informed - they want you frantic.
The issue cannot be the media, unless they are lying. The issue has to be with people who don't want to be informed, but desire to be frantic.
Yeah - I just don't agree with this thinking. If the media wasn't there reporting these things, I don't think people would be frantic about so many things people are frantic about. Instead they would (Maybe) be paying more attention to things closer to home (their home). i.e. hearing from neighbors, etc that little john was shot, and little suzy was shot, etc. As they hear about more and more they might grow to be concerned...
Instead we have herd mentality - maybe that's what you mean by they want it - they have herd mentality - they don't want to think for themselves beyond their own personal little desires.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
If the media wasn't there reporting these things, I don't think people would be frantic about so many things people are frantic about.
But if people were reaction to reality instead of meaningless information tidbits, then it wouldn't matter. Bottom line, agree or not, the FACT is that the media isn't lying, the people are lying to themselves. Sure, the media takes advantage of that by not beating them over the head with reality, but that is neither the media's fault nor responsibility. It's impossible for true information to cause this problem, it can only happen when people WANT to be misinformed and inject their own false information into the mix.
Does the media take advantage? Of course. But it is not possible for media, reporting actual facts, to be the problem. The truth isn't the source of the hysteria, the lies are. And the lies come from the people.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
Instead we have herd mentality - maybe that's what you mean by they want it - they have herd mentality - they don't want to think for themselves beyond their own personal little desires.
Again, yes, BUT the ONLY people who can choose to act like cattle are the cattle themselves. No one can make others behave like a herd. it's a choice made only by the herd members.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
Instead we have herd mentality - maybe that's what you mean by they want it - they have herd mentality - they don't want to think for themselves beyond their own personal little desires.
Again, yes, BUT the ONLY people who can choose to act like cattle are the cattle themselves. No one can make others behave like a herd. it's a choice made only by the herd members.
I personally believe it's a human condition. It makes us function as a society better. If we were all more like you (Scott Allan Miller) - and had differing opinions, we'd likely be stuck in a major grid lock with nothing ever getting done.
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@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
Instead we have herd mentality - maybe that's what you mean by they want it - they have herd mentality - they don't want to think for themselves beyond their own personal little desires.
Again, yes, BUT the ONLY people who can choose to act like cattle are the cattle themselves. No one can make others behave like a herd. it's a choice made only by the herd members.
I personally believe it's a human condition. It makes us function as a society better. If we were all more like you (Scott Allan Miller) - and had differing opinions, we'd likely be stuck in a major grid lock with nothing ever getting done.
Why is bad decision making and herd control better than grid lock over good decision making?
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
Instead we have herd mentality - maybe that's what you mean by they want it - they have herd mentality - they don't want to think for themselves beyond their own personal little desires.
Again, yes, BUT the ONLY people who can choose to act like cattle are the cattle themselves. No one can make others behave like a herd. it's a choice made only by the herd members.
I personally believe it's a human condition. It makes us function as a society better. If we were all more like you (Scott Allan Miller) - and had differing opinions, we'd likely be stuck in a major grid lock with nothing ever getting done.
Why is bad decision making and herd control better than grid lock over good decision making?
Well, as a society, the few leaders who get out ahead of the herd actually make it move, perhaps not a great or even good direction, but at least it's not grid lock, i.e. nothing happening. Corrections can be made to something that's moving. If you're in full grid lock, what's to break that to allow actual movement?
