Last year, the word was that The Daily Show was replacing traditional news outlets for its audience. Now, it seems that people are turning to, of all places, Facebook. I guess people feel too busy to read newspapers (yes, these still exist) -- and I can well understand the aversion to the shouting matches that call themselves cable news. I am not surprised that people opt for a replacement (or relief)-- and I've been known to search on Twitter to see what I missed in the hundredth TV debate.
But I wonder. What kind of news, exactly, are users getting? So, I explored my "news feed" to see what's happening in the world. What have I learned This Week on Facebook?
So, what exactly do I see?
1. Dogs are cute, and lots of people love their dogs. They post pictures of their dogs eating, running, but most of all sleeping. They show pictures of dogs waiting to be fed. Their friends agree that the dog is very cute, and sometimes they post pictures of their own doggies who are also cute.
2. Cats are cute, and lots of people love their cats. They post pictures of their cats in repose, usually sleeping. Their friends agree that the cat is very cute, and sometimes post pictures of their own feline or just any old cat video.
3. Babies are cute, and lots of people love their babies. They post pictures of babies, often sleeping. Their friends agree that the baby is very cute.
4. Coffee is good, and lots of people love drinking coffee. They post pictures of large coffee mugs, daily, and some even show pictures of cats and dogs with coffee. They post slogans about how awful it is to face the morning without coffee.
5. The President and the First Lady are cute, especially when they are hugging kids or joking on late night talk shows, like The Daily Show. Oh, and they love to see the First Lady dance.
If I turn from my "feed" to what's trending on Facebook, I see that in Pennsylvania, a retired state trooper has shot a toll collector. Whew, glad I didn't miss that one. Also, some actor whom I've never heard of has endorsed Donald Trump.
Well, that's all the news that's fit to post.
.
.
But I wonder. What kind of news, exactly, are users getting? So, I explored my "news feed" to see what's happening in the world. What have I learned This Week on Facebook?
So, what exactly do I see?
1. Dogs are cute, and lots of people love their dogs. They post pictures of their dogs eating, running, but most of all sleeping. They show pictures of dogs waiting to be fed. Their friends agree that the dog is very cute, and sometimes they post pictures of their own doggies who are also cute.
2. Cats are cute, and lots of people love their cats. They post pictures of their cats in repose, usually sleeping. Their friends agree that the cat is very cute, and sometimes post pictures of their own feline or just any old cat video.
3. Babies are cute, and lots of people love their babies. They post pictures of babies, often sleeping. Their friends agree that the baby is very cute.
4. Coffee is good, and lots of people love drinking coffee. They post pictures of large coffee mugs, daily, and some even show pictures of cats and dogs with coffee. They post slogans about how awful it is to face the morning without coffee.5. The President and the First Lady are cute, especially when they are hugging kids or joking on late night talk shows, like The Daily Show. Oh, and they love to see the First Lady dance.
If I turn from my "feed" to what's trending on Facebook, I see that in Pennsylvania, a retired state trooper has shot a toll collector. Whew, glad I didn't miss that one. Also, some actor whom I've never heard of has endorsed Donald Trump.
Well, that's all the news that's fit to post.
.
.
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