We have all dealt with rumors and their effects living in the digital age. We are aware of how easily they can escalate out of control. This jeopardizes both one’s reputation and integrity. It is up to the accused to defend the accusations in order to revert the damage. In “Fighting That Old Devil Rumor” by Sandra Salmans and comparing “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization” by Cass R. Sunstein, we explore the three types of informational cascades: truth, rumor, conformity, as well as polarization within groups. Once a rumor arises, how can we justify ourselves against the accusations? This becomes difficult when the people spreading the rumors have more believers on their side. Although most rumors are ‘word of mouth’, individuals tend to agree with them regardless if they are lacking evidence. Rumors can easily get out of hand and it’s up to one to prove oneself right
Rumors surrounding Procter and Gamble first started in 1980. The accusations mainly concerned the relation between P&G’s logo, which depicts the man in the moon and 13 stars representing the original thirteen colonies, when held to the mirror, the man’s beard curls. According to the accusations, “…When a mirror is held up to the logo, the curlicues in the man’s beard become 666-the sign of the Antichrist.” (Salmans 356) This commenced the rumors of devil worship claiming it as a symbol for Satanism. The few initial calls, mostly in the Midwest, to their toll free call center were concerning a rumor that Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s followers “INFO ABOUT MOON CHURCH” owned Procter. “Individuals in a handful of Middle Western states said that they had heard that Procter was owned by Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s followers.” (Salmans 357) After dismissing those rumors, in De...
... middle of paper ...
...ect, whether true or not, on a group of like-minded individuals. In Fighting That Old Devil Rumor, the people of similar religious affiliations polarized the issue causing it to seem true and gaining followers of the rumor and in Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization; the study basically outlined the polarization effect on a group of similar individuals.
We understand the harms and effects of rumors. Living in the digital age, rumors spread quicker than in the 1980s. Both of these articles outlined what happens in rumors. From companies to individuals and even entire countries, it’s difficult to keep clear of rumors. Just like a snowball coming down from a mountain gets bigger as it reaches the bottom, rumors can spread and grow. If we don’t put a halt to them, they will eventually blow out of proportion and may be accepted by a majority of people as the truth.
It has been researched that when one person says something others rally behind it and convince themselves that it is true.
Gossip can be a form of either informal or conversational talk that is not usually planned but happens spontaneously in conversation (Tholander, 2003). Gossip is a distinct and unusual form of storytelling as it involves a non-present third person. In order for a story to be considered as gossip it must handle a past event of which the absent third party was involved in. It often occurs within friendships,
Crime and deviant behavior surprisingly helps increase “social activity” among various different people within a society. Therefore, crime and deviant behavior brings “people together in a common posture of anger and indignation…when these people come together to express their outrage over the offense…they develop a tighter sense of solidarity than existed earlier” (Erikson 4). For example, in the Steven Avery case, the people of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, all had very strong feelings of Steven Avery and his family, and as a result they were seen as deviant people in their own hometown. Those feelings towards him, and his family, would be a critical factor when he was accused of the horrendous crime (Making). Based on their feelings towards the Avery family, the society in which he lived developed the overall concept of us versus them (Erikson 11). Therefore, another concept that arises as a result of crime and deviant behavior is public temper, which is described as a “mutual group feeling” (Erikson
...ore long-term effect on both the media and the person who the false information was about.
Another controlling method that is diffused through television, radio and written publications; is any reported information about world politics and news. Powerful political groups narrow people’s views of what is going on around them by tainting and twisting information to their own device. They decide what to say and when to say it, revealing as much or little information as desired, in ‘befitting’ instances; thus enabling them to hide information they consider deleterious to themselves, from the public. It also permits them to depict opponents in overly negative terms.
As the chapter goes on, Girard continues by explaining collective persecution and the types of individuals who are targeted. Girard emphasizes “by collective resonances of persecutions I mean acts of violence, such as witch hunts, that are legal in form but stimulated by the extremes of public opinion” (Girard, 1986, p. 12). In other words, Girard argues the acts of violence against an individual are led by the opinions formulated by the public rather than the victim’s crimes. People are likely to accuse someone of false accusations in this type of
The book, The Devil in the White City, takes place during the late nineteenth century. During that time, the total picture of the late nineteenth - century America that emerges from The Devil in the White City is very different than now.
Social media has immensely evolved in how many companies and employers do business in recent years. It has helped many companies grow and expand by usage of social media by mass and instant communication and advertising through this technology. Like anything, there is a side effect. The social media "downfall” is the subject of employees bashing their employer's reputation in regards of employee’s communication via social media about their employers. With such controversy, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has had to step in to distinguish what is considered lawful of unlawful termination due to these actions by employees and their employers. The question to ask if such an issue should arise is to determine if it is concerted activity or not. This will help the NLRB determine if proper disciplinary procedures have been taken.
...ernet, news and rumours spread alike. It seems like whether it be the hottest celebrity of the time caught in a scandal, or the average government worker releases government information, people are quick to shun people who do something unsavory to the common man’s eyes. Whether that is the right thing for society to do is up to debate, but as of now shunning holds a stronghold on everyday life.
Typically, when someone thinks of religion, they think about worship of a higher power, compassion for all living things, and a general love of the world. Satanism, while a religion, does not fit these conventions. The faith holds no belief in a higher power, is rather selfish in nature, and paints a bleak picture of the world and its workings. In addition, Satanism has controversy riddled history dating back to the seventeenth century. Due to the religion’s unconventional nature, it is often looked down upon and its principles and values are ridiculed. To better understand a faith like Satanism, it helps to look at it alongside a more familiar and commonly understood religion like Christianity.
Feedback influences the amount of time the group members spend discussing the topic and could be used to dispute flows. The experiment was conducted and presented to a dozens of individuals in large electronic rooms with the "Lost in the Desert" survival scenario. Participant were given a list of fifteen objects where they must select five that would help them survive. After the picked their items were instructed to enter an assigned chat room and discus the possible choices, they had no obligation choose the same item as other groups. The discussing ensued with no one knowing whose group they are in. This created disconnect to all for a more analytical process. The results indicated that positive feedback results more in the production blocking and less effective decision-making. Negative feedback increases the amount of time spent on group discussion. Evidence suggests that groups whom receive negative feedback during decision-making process engage in more argumentation, likely an effort to support their own argument in the face of criticism. The use of devil 's advocacy by a group requires more discussion to reach agreement than is normally needed. In comparison, groups who receive positive feedback will likely require less time to reach consensus by virtue of not requiring the same amount of argumentation. (Marler & Marett, 2013).
The introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation. Since there is no longer a need to wait until the next print day, news from all over the world is available at a person’s fingertips within hours or even minutes of the event. With this advent of such easily accessible information, new problems for the news media have also arisen. Aside from potentially losing good economic standing because newspapers are no longer being purchased in the quantities they used to be, the credibility of the information itself is also put into question. No one would argue that credibility of news sources is unimportant, but there is a discrepancy in what takes precedence; economy and speed or getting the information out correctly at the first publishing by taking the time to make sure all facts are checked. The importance of having a system of checks on all information submitted is paramount. People trust what they read and believe it to be so without always questioning. If all information were to not be checked thoroughly, there would be instances where people read an article only for information included to be wrong and they go on believing such information. This can be very dangerous as misinformed people make misinformed decisions. With an increase in errors being made by citizen bloggers and even major publications, many are worried that journalistic ethics and credibility in the news media are being sacrificed in order to maintain swiftness in the news circuit and to retain personal profits. Though getting information to the masses quickly is a major part of the media’s importance, this should not mean that the credibility of that information being presented should be sacrificed for it...
The battle between what is right and wrong is a classic struggle that has existed from the beginning of time. The most honorable people face the crossroad of choosing either the angel’s path or the devil’s; one path leads to an honest yet difficult life while the other is an easy and selfish one. Throughout history, women have been portrayed as the reason of Man’s downfall. The male dominated world has created stereotypes to blame females for their defeats due to ignorance. Leo Tolstoy’s “The Devil” explores the dichotomy of the objectification of women as the angel and the devil.
HIST303 Witch Hunting 1400-1700 Essay 1: Describe the nature of "witchcraft"and explain why it was threatening to Christianity. Prepared by: Sikiki Angela Lloyd Due: 4 April 2014 Student Number: 203139861 Image: The Witches' Sabbath.
Urban legends often times provide us with a glimpse of the real world. From the sick and neurotic to the innocent and young, societies attitudes and concerns are portrayed within these tales. These attitudes, fears, views and concerns arise due to the strong values society embraces. These "urban legends" should not only serve to entertain, but to further enlighten an individual's understanding of society.