The Fall of the Mainstream Media? By What Metric?

An impressive look at our assumptions about Mainstream Media sources versus the new burgeoning superstars. “The term “mainstream media” has long been used to refer to established journalism outlets in the United States. In recent years, it has also been used in a more critical context, including by former President Donald Trump, other politicians and members of the media… Read More The Fall of the Mainstream Media? By What Metric?

Kathleen Stock on Wall to Wall Decadence and Roger Scruton

Stock on the related American jurisprudence: “it is bizarre to treat pornography as speech. It is a legal fiction“. “Philosopher and UnHerd writer Kathleen Stock joins Freddie Sayers to discuss one of the strangest and most revealing cultural moments of the year: the rise of ‘Bonnie Blue,’ the OnlyFans “pornstar” at the heart of a… Read More Kathleen Stock on Wall to Wall Decadence and Roger Scruton

Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

11.8.24 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced legislation this week to ban social media for children under 16. The proposed law, set to be introduced in Parliament in the coming weeks, would require platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X, to bar access to children and teenage users. There are no exceptions for parental consent. If approved,… Read More Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Bowling Alone

Loneliness in the West. “Once we bowled in leagues, usually after work — but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolizes a significant social change that Robert Putnam has identified in this brilliant volume, Bowling Alone, which The Economist hailed as “a prodigious achievement.” Drawing on vast new data that reveal Americans’ changing behavior, Putnam shows how we have… Read More Bowling Alone

What Total Surveillance Means In Our Time. Cars, Homes, Hotels, Stores…

“Technology advancements, along with the increasing availability of Wi-Fi, broadband internet, and cellular and wireless networking, have played a crucial role in creating a perfect storm for the IoT [“Internet of Things”], steering the direction of various industries.” “Billions” of physical objects, including what we wear. “Science” aping omnipotence, omniscience. NYT. As cars become ever more… Read More What Total Surveillance Means In Our Time. Cars, Homes, Hotels, Stores…

Marshall McLuhan on media manipulation of peoples and nations

McLuhan, 1969: “There’s nothing at all difficult about putting computers in the position where they will be able to conduct carefully orchestrated programing of the sensory life of whole populations. I know it sounds rather science-fictional, but if you understood cybernetics you’d realize we could do it today. The computer could program the media to… Read More Marshall McLuhan on media manipulation of peoples and nations