With the arrival of the age of “information economy”, intellectual work is becoming a more important source of wealth than manufacturing. Organizations in all walks of life are doing more to spread their information. So people of the Public Relations are hired to speak for them. A lot of our news is actually collected from press releases and reports of events intentionally staged for journalists. In the information age, journalists spend their time, not investigating, but passing on the words of a spokesperson.
There is a joke in the novel Scoop about the newspaper's owner, Lord Copper. The editors can never disagree with him. When he's right about something they answer “definitely”, and when he's wrong they say “to some extent, Lord Copper.” It seems reasonable to suppose that, in the real world, the opinions of such powerful people still influence the journalists and editors who work for them.
In countries where the news is not officially controlled, it may be provided by commercial organizations who depend on advertising. The news has to attract viewers and maintain its audience ratings. I suspect that some stories get air-time just because there happen to be exciting pictures to show.
There is an argument that with spreading access to the Internet and cheap technology for recording sound and images we will all be able to find exactly the information we want. People around the world will be able to publish their own eye-witness accounts and compete with the widely-accepted news-gatherers on equal terms.
Maybe the time has come to do something about it, and I don't just mean changing your choice of TV channel or newspaper. In a world where everyone wants you to listen to their version, you only have two choices: switch off altogether or start looking for sources you can trust.
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For many well-educated travelers, buying a copy of Lonely Planet is the first task before taking a vacation abroad. Founded in 1973, Lonely Planet is the biggest guidebook series in many countries. It’s published in 11 languages including Chinese.
But when the BBC confirmed on March 19 that it had sold the entire Lonely Planet series to a US billionaire at a significant deficit(赤字), many commented that the deal sang the swan song for the printed guidebook.
The rise of the Internet and the prevalence of smartphones have become a burden on the print media. Why would travelers bring a heavy guidebook when they can download the apps to their smartphone in an instant? Furthermore, alternative and free travel content is readily available on the Internet, from Wikivoyage to TripAdvisor which provide excellent guidance on your trips.
But the Internet is not the only reason that guidebooks are in decline. It is also widely accepted that the physical guidebook has such complete content that can kill any sense of personal exploration. With the guide books, all those backpacker feet ended up following routine trade routes, and in those routes was little room for initiative.
It’s also pointed out that the guidebook is not exactly good for tourism. Often the shops and restaurants that thrived on a recommendation in the guidebook relaxed and discovered that it didn’t matter: the legions of eager travelers keep on coming anyway. They gradually become uncompetitive.
And yet, despite the rise of new media, it’s believed there is still a place for printed guidebooks, at least for the time being as books still offer readers the kind of feeling that virtual tools can’t provide, more of a compelling, touchable interaction.
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A “Robber” in Your Pocket
The final bell rings at a high school in downtown Los Angeles, and nearly every student walking out of the school gate studies a screen, with head bowed. Over the past decade, such scenes have become the norm — at least in the United States. Research reveals that American millennial (千禧一代的人) look at their phones 150 times a day on average.
In the meantime, the number of American teenagers reporting feelings of depression has grown significantly. While some people blame the increase on the Great Recession following 2008 and other social changes, a big new study suggests a different explanation — the rise of social media.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, led the study. By taking a close look at national surveys, with data collected from more than 500,000 American teenagers, she found that those who spent lots of time on social media were more likely to agree with remarks such as “The future often seems hopeless.” Those who used screens less, spending time playing sport or socializing with friends in person, were less likely to report feelings of depression.
This, in fact, is not the first time scientists have found that social media can rob people of their happiness. One study published in 2016 asked a randomly selected group of adults to quit Facebook for a week. A control group continued using the social networking site as usual. Those who gave up Facebook reported feeling less depressed at the end of the week than those who continued using it.
Some research, however, suggests that social-networking sites can promote happiness if used to engage directly with other users, rather than just to feel jealous of happy moments someone shares online. This provides a reminder that it is users’ attitudes that shape their experiences on social media. “I often remind myself that it’s all filtered,” reflects Sarah, a junior at the high school in Los Angeles. “People only post what they want you to see, so it can seem that their life is better than yours.” Nicole, another junior, agrees. But when asked if she has ever considered deleting her social media accounts, Sarah looks confused. “No. I would feel lost.”
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