Social networks giving users an identity crisis, argues professor who clearly doesn’t use Twitter
From The Metro:
Baroness Greenfield is concerned about the banality of Twitter
Baroness Greenfield doesn’t understand Twitter.
Baroness Greenfield, a professor of pharmacology, fears [social networks] may be having a negative impact on users.
It’s true. Those damned social networks, which keep you in touch with people and enable you to share ideas and communicate. THEY ARE EVIL.
She claimed that a focus on developing internet friendships and the constant feedback they involve had the potential to ‘rewire’ the brain, making people expect instant gratification and reducing their ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time.
Ooh! Look at that cute LOLcat!
Sorry, what?
Baroness Greenfield suggested the ‘banality’ of the information exchanged on Twitter could become a problem.
The banality in my Twitter feed today being arguments about the US debt ceiling, tons of comments on design, responses to Daily Mail/Liz Jones idiocy regarding the NHS, and articles arguing about the pros and cons of activism.
In other news, the banality of information exchanged by professionals (say, professors of pharmacology), TV pundits and people in pubs “could become a problem”, but it all depends on who you’re conversing with.
The academic said: ‘Why should someone be interested in what someone else had for breakfast?
Why should we be interested in the views of someone who’s clearly never used Twitter, but nonetheless feels compelled to churn out the same old ill-informed arguments about the service?
It reminds me of a small child (saying): “Look at me Mummy, I’m doing this, look at me Mummy, I’m doing that”.
Unlike, say, a professor of pharmacology doing an interview for a newspaper and parroting the same old garbage we’ve heard a thousand times before?
‘It’s almost as if they’re in some kind of identity crisis.
It’s almost as if they’re keeping in touch with people and letting them know what’s going on in their lives, from the banal to the extremely exciting and interesting. Not everyone juggles sharks for a living, every second of the day, Baroness Greenfield. And not everyone can be a professor of pharmacology with a poor understanding of Twitter.
In a sense it’s keeping the brain in a sort of time warp.
MY BRAIN IS DOING PELVIC THRUSTS ON TWITTER! PLEASE SEND HELP, BARONESS GREENFIELD!
I think with “the ‘banality’ of the information exchanged on Twitter” she was referring _not_ to what tweets link to, but as to what is tweeted thereby understanding a tweet as the message itself. This, however, clearly proves that she has no idea how twitter works.
I think, I’ll tweet this right now.
Internet Explorer users have lower IQ and now Twitter rewires your brain… anyone would think there is an anti-technology agenda out there…
I attended a talk in 2010 by Baroness Greenfield about the effect of technology on the developing brain. The research she presented was interesting, but many of her conclusions seemed disconnected from the research.
Also, Bad Science addresses Baroness Greenfield’s media scare stories quite well: http://www.badscience.net/2009/05/professor-baroness-susan-greenfield-cbe/
That is hilarious. On a completely unrelated point, I am attending a witch-burning this weekend.
Social networks are hyped and a delusion of freedom. They are evil too! (don’t laugh), they help employers, stalkers and the government to map your relations, political ideas, locations, pictures, etc. Of course if you are an average Joe whose greatest goal in life is to have 15 minutes of fame, you don’t have to worry.
mIRC and closed forums FTW!