The Hypodermic Needle Theory Now Appears to be True... on Social Media

It has been a considerable time since my last post. Since then I have travelled to Japan and I will be writing on that, but I also have been observing and trying to understand large and repeating online events. Social media is an online activity that most of the “always online” and relatively affluent participate in every day. It takes up our time and our attention, and while many articles argued against that years ago, that isn’t what I am doing here. No, what troubles me is that a first year theory that I was taught was incorrect, actually now appears to be accurate and repeating in our social media saturated existence.

There is an old theory that when people read newspapers or listened to the radio (I said it was an old theory) that the messages hit them, entered their minds and changed them. They would, in positions and opinions, accord with the message, come around and accept it, believe it and share it privately and in public life. This was the hypodermic needle model, also known as the hypodermic-syringe theory (which is how I first encountered  it), and also the  magic bullet theory. The audience and receivers are passive and the message clearly enters their minds and is completely accepted. Fair enough, it is a 20th century theory, but how is this relevant today?

To a worrying extent, the messages spread through the public via social media have created examples of uniform thinking, quickly shifted attitudes, positions and opinions with ease and given immense attention upon the newly raised causes (they are informally called trends, or what is trending). Along with all this, once a message gathers real support and spreads through social media, there is hostility towards those that hold a contrary opinion or stance to recently the changed attitude or opinion. Whether they do or do not possess evidence or facts to back up their opposition to these new social media causes, there is hostility, personal attacks and threats against them. The mob of converts eagerly and consistently attacks those that disagree with what is temporarily being espoused very loudly at the moment. People that resist the change or argue against it or say they don't care come under attack.

Shaped by online trends that spread simplistic positions (never ideal for deep thought) people are not becoming more cynical or critically aware (so much for teaching critical thinking in schools). Instead they pass on the messages and causes, seem to believe them and believe in them. That is until the next cause and social media tidal wave come along, and then positions and attitudes are reset. This is a really worrying thing to see in the public. In the links below they discuss the problems of public shaming and the digital age. Both for those that are targetted by social media “justice” campaigns and pressure and personal attacks upon those that do not agree with or go along with the latest magic-bullet cause that hits the online masses, reverberates through them and then changes their attitudes and what they care about and support.

As the hypodermic-syringe theory has become more evident and encountered online, it impacts daily life, attitudes and opinions beyond online spaces. People are becoming fickle, easily manipulated and willing to chase to support popular causes of the moment, and this is happening over and over again. Online exposure to more injections involves more quickly changing opinions, more sharing and more attacks upon those few that disagree. Then the next online trend comes along and then the next one. It is appearing quite cyclical and it isn’t stopping, nor are people getting tired of spreading the causes and simplified attitudes via social media, or attacking those that resist the mob's message. This fickle behaviour seems to have rewards and keeps people involved and liking, sharing and arguing for whatever new cause comes along.

Here are some examples I have noted down, not in chronological order, including how they manifested:

Save the dolphins with harsh criticisms of centuries of fishing traditions in the Faroe islands, and that they should have their fishing rights removed.

Cecil the lion and hatred towards hunters and hunting, with threats en masse made against a dentist.

Jenner appears on Vanity Fair, widespread sharing and acceptance of a crafted image.

Reports of police violence (in multiple countries), growing hostility towards police and the encouragement of violence and revolt. This one repeats throughout 2015.

Legalise gay marriage campaign circulates, and the rainbow profile change sees considerable sudden support.

Shaming of Men’s Rights Movements, delegitimises the movement, their concerns and damages their voice.

Outrage against Kony, hatred, racism and condemnation years after his active period and fall from considerable power.

The EU migrant crisis, and calls for all states to take more, even as states (Macedonia & Hungary) are overwhelmed.

Domestically, a social-media push that Australia needs to take tens of thousands of Syrian refugees (The Greens party was involved), it is our obligation, or we are being inhumane.

Some of these I have been involved with, other seemed baffling at the time, especially if you emerge in the middle and don’t begin at the start with most others. If you do not share and join the cause it is possible to get a sense of the sudden growth and homogeneity of opinions on an issue while an outsider.

It appears that the hypodermic-syringe theory is exactly what is happening, and that it is being supported by all who participate and share these causes along. While it may seem an initially ridiculous notion that messages can be injected directly into the "bloodstream" of the public, and that these message will create uniform thinking, it seems that again and again on social media, that this is  happening—a repeated push for homogeneity in opinion. A suddenly emerging cause of the fortnight, a sudden overflowing of a message or position through social media has led to observable situations where people suddenly believe in what is said, spread the message, argue for it and attack those that are not behind it.

Mob mentality is alive and well on social media and huge groups of people seem to be hit by the new magic bullets of causes and then they espouse them extremely adamantly. Arguments contrary to the new position face hysterical responses, repeated hyperbole and personal attacks and dehumanisation upon those that do not support the cause of the moment.

Social media trends though, are brief. They last until the next trend comes along. We can observe that they run their course, sink back and are replaced with others. The online public's attentions are short-lived. The hypodermic needle model appears to apply quite well to social media, where messages are quickly accepted, believed and transmitted, but what is also odd is the low rate of retention. People do not stick with these causes forever, indeed while they may burn brightly for them and argue passionately, the interest and outrage fades within a few weeks. This is the good news about people's positions suddenly changing to correspond with trends.

In closing, I ask that we all consider what we are sharing and whether we are quickly accepting an opinion or position we just read and do we actually know anything about this latest trend? Are we helping a new trend spread widely, are we aiding temporary fixation and pushing along simplified narratives of complex issues? Are we simply repeating what all our friends are sharing, and are we once again a part of an internet mob?

Further good links:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/07/outrage-rip-cecil-lion/400037/

Thank you Matt Inglish.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/09/03/4305281.htm?WT.mc_id=Innovation_Radio-Local-Conversations|JonRonsonPublicShamingInTheDigitalAge_GPP|abc

Thank you Ben Glasgow.

Tutoring Among the Sick

Based on very recent tutoring experiences and the choices and challenges that were presented, I was highly motivated to create this post in the hope of helping other tutors. When encountering sick clients or their family the stakes can be high, in both health and financial costs, and decisions may need to be made quickly while minimising offence. While it may seem simple to avoid the sick and reschedule, this isn’t always the case and surprises and resistance can occur.

Here we shall discuss tutoring among the sick. Firstly, entering a home and finding a member of the household ill with something very contagious, next declining to tutor the very sick even while parents are insisting, and thirdly managing client offence.

The Sick Household Member

You arrive to tutor the student/s but a member of the family, whom you are not tutoring, is extremely sick with something very contagious. You must decide how dangerous this is to you, and by extension all other students and family you will encounter after the session. If contact is minimal of course the tutoring can go ahead, otherwise you may need to excuse yourself. This carries a high risk of offending the sick and other members of the household, especially if their patience has been worn away by pain and disturbed sleep.

We should always call ahead prior to a session. This is to ensure the session is on and to check if there is any new information we need to know, but this is no guarantee you will be told about contagious persons in the home. Therefore this surprise can await even a diligent tutor.

If contact is minimal (and the sick family member will probably wish to rest) the tutoring may go ahead. It is important to not use the areas the sick person has been laying or lounging upon, sitting at or eating at. Even so, this is where a very beneficial item all tutors should carry will come in handy—hand sanitiser. I carry a very strong hand sanitiser in my tutoring bag at all times. Use at the beginning of the lesson, try to touch very little furniture or items that are not your own and use it liberally at the end the sessions right before departing.

Following these steps there is still another obstacle the tutor can face other than using a door handle to leave. This is the receiving of payment. Much is done online these days, but for cash and receipt work this presents further difficulties. For the receipt it is best to not trouble the afflicted and have another family sign for it. For money, this presents a problem, but not an insurmountable one.

Receive the payment, thank them and put it aside from your other funds. This cannot be passed to others as a part of change and you will have to clean your hands after handling it. Upon returning home or to an office, make use of hand sanitiser or Dettol, water, a sink and clean the money. Taking such steps has prevented this tutor from contracting the flu from a parent who looked near death upon handing the money to me. It is better to be safe than sorry, and it is important to always manage your own affairs and your health while you are out tutoring.

Declining to Tutor Sick Students

Calling ahead prior to the tuition you discover your students (and perhaps their siblings) are sick. They may be recovering, they may be contagious but they may also infect you and all of your students. This is why tutoring such students presents very high risk and should not be taken lightly or done.

There are two further reasons not to tutor the sick. There is little point tutoring the sick when they will have trouble focusing because their body is suffering or in the process of recovering. Secondly, making $100 from a lengthy session is not worth it if you later lose $400 due to sickness and cancellations. The current session is not the only session in the future, other students are put at risk by tutoring the sick and it can remove a week or more of earnings from a truly sick tutor. Of course tutors also have lives outside of work, and we do not want to hamper them by needlessly falling sick or passing sickness on to family and loved ones.

It is obvious the session should be cancelled, but this can become complicated. Parents or the clients themselves may insist they “only have a fever”, their temperature is going down or that they are “getting better”. An eagerness and willingness for tuition is admirable, but it is a constant risk until the disease or virus has passed. Even if a tutor is careful and sanitises their hands, writing equipment and books infection may occur during the session during conversation.

Therefore a tutor should cancel when students or siblings of the student are seriously ill (due to their constant contact), or still recovering from illnesses.

Parental Insistence and Offence

Realising the household is sick you wish to cancel. In this case you have many reasons to cancel but there is opposition to your decision from a client. This is a challenge for a tutor, and quite different to the normal day-to-day of lesson preparation, motivating students and teaching them. If you back down from your decision they will not respect you or what you say in the future, but by not relenting your risk offending a client. How are we then to proceed?

After you have discovered the student/s are sick, all claims that day that it is now okay, that it isn’t so serious, that the student’s temperature has suddenly stabilised should be taken with a grain of salt. Clearly, they want you to tutor even at the risk to yourself and others. If you know that the flu (or worse) has taken hold in the members of a household you should be extremely cautious of tutoring them at all. If you decide to not go ahead with the tuition it is the professional act to clearly communicate your decision with reasons if requested, organise the next session (ideally next week) and thank them for their time or wish them the best. Your decision communicated in a professional manner, is a position you have to adhere to, especially when you are very certain there is a health risk posed to you and your other students with something that could be easily transmitted.

A parent of the client, via phone call or message, may attempt to override your decision and insist you come. They may not take your cancellation seriously, or they may be forceful and assert that it is their judgement call to make, your decision is unwarranted, your rationale baseless. To back down is to face serious risks. Of course you should also be conscious that this discussion is causing offence as it continues, tempers can flare, and you should bow out from the discussion respectfully. People do not like being treated poorly due to sickness, and can react badly if they feel their family is being ignored or marginalised. Share your reasons, but if a client is becoming agitated, do not share your emotions and needlessly argue. We are in sensitive times of quick communication of thoughts, concerns and emotion and it is important to not escalate or argue. You are clear, you know what must be done and you respectfully listen to what they say, but do not argue or relent and expose yourself to a house in the grip of sickness.

This decision may be criticised. If they disagree it is likely they will be critical and may use emotional appeals, appeal to their own authority over yours or seek confrontation to push their way. However, that is not what is most important, and argument helps no one. Instead by staying healthy and non-contagious you show your full commitment to providing excellent tuition, and as you actively lower the risk of your students being exposed to sickness you demonstrate that you care about their health and well-being. That is what is important.

Proverbs That Make You Laugh and Think

I confess to being quite the fan of proverbs, witticisms and wonderful quotes that are either deeply wise or entertaining. As I browsed inside a post office recently I found the most exceptional bargain. Max Cryer's Preposterous Proverbs was on sale for a single dollar. Apparently this normally goes for $22.99 in Australia, so I counted myself quite fortunate. Inside I found a charming coffee table book full of proverbs and commentary.

Cryer takes the reader across cultures with proverbs from China, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Iran and Africa. Some are recent with many from the 20th century, but they are presented alongside the very old, with Euripides, Cicero and Seneca featuring. Generally the dating of the proverb is not given (and dating them exactly must have been a truly daunting task), and they are more identified by their country of origin rather than the most famous person that used them. They are presented as a product of cultures and different worldviews circulating to the extent that proverbs are often contradictory. Cryer takes great pleasure in pointing some of these out, asking the reader 'Take your pick' on whether you prefer 'Seek and ye shall find' to 'Curiosity killed the cat'.

This book proved to be quite enjoyable and thought provoking. Many will have been heard before by the reader, with their bastardised simpler versions used in everyday speak, but I was pleased to find so many new proverbs (African proverbs are not insignificant in number), from a variety of cultural sources. Cryer has done a good job, and while it is easy to blitz through and read them all, some need a lot of unraveling and Cryer does not tell what they all mean. That would take the fun out of it.

Some of my favourites are as follows:

Tell the truth and you ask for a beating (if childhood doesn't teach you this then work life will).

Who keeps company with wolves will learn to howl (a bit of a comment on socialisation there).

Grey hair is a sign of old age, but not wisdom (the young will brighten at this, the old may not).

When bulls fight, woe to the frogs (a bit of macro-political insight there).

Caesar has no authority over the grammarians (even Stalin the editor faced a severe editing after his death).

Never write a letter when you are angry (advice I managed to follow recently, luckily this proverb was in my mind at the time).

You're a lady, I'm a lady - who will feed the pigs?

The frog in the well knows nothing of the ocean (but online the frog may have an opinion about the tides).

A bad haircut is two people's shame (this is Danish, and the shame for both parties coming from a terrible haircut is something I remember quite clearly).

This is a useful educational resource as well, and I have been using this as a part of lessons to tutor the young. One of my students agreed with Randle Cotgrave who said in 1611 that 'A growing youth has a wolf in his belly', as did his mother.

Many of these proverbs remain relevant and thought-provoking. I recommend you give Preposterous Proverbs a look, after all, 'He who wishes to eat the kernel must first crack the nut.'