DL 349
Which Side Is Playing You?
Welcome back. Here's Digitally Literate, issue #349.
🔖 Key Takeaways
- Social Media’s Dilemma: Musk’s Twitter exposes the complexity of moderating people and content.
- Meme Wars: Online culture wars are fueled by disinformation and digital propaganda.
- Mindset Shift: An abundance mindset can transform your life and relationships.
📚 This Week’s Highlights
1. Make INCREDIBLE Backgrounds With a TV!
Caleb Pike from the DSLR Video Shooter YouTube channel demonstrates how to use an old TV as a creative background for video projects.
2. Welcome to Hell, Elon
Nilay Patel unpacks the challenges Elon Musk faces as the new owner of Twitter, highlighting the fundamental problem of moderating human behavior at scale.
Why this matters: Social media platforms must balance free speech with content moderation, a task that often sparks criticism from all sides.
3. Fleeing Twitter — The “Twexodus” — is About White Liberal Fragility
Tim Wise critiques the exodus from Twitter, arguing that marginalized communities have long endured online toxicity and continue to fight despite it.
Why this matters: It challenges the privileged decision to disengage from difficult spaces instead of staying to advocate for change.
4. “You don’t know which side is playing you”
An interview with the authors of Meme Wars, exploring how memes fuel disinformation and erode trust in institutions.
Why this matters: Understanding how memes function as tools of influence is critical in combating disinformation.
5. Ten Mental Models for Learning
Scott H. Young shares ten mental models to improve your approach to learning, including concepts like “memory strengthens by retrieval” and “creativity is mostly copying.”
Why this matters: These models provide practical strategies to enhance learning and problem-solving.
6. Ways to Think About a Metaverse
Ben Evans offers perspectives on what the metaverse could become, from interoperable virtual worlds to something akin to Wreck-It Ralph characters passing between games.
Why this matters: As the metaverse evolves, understanding its possibilities and implications will shape how we interact in digital spaces.
🛠️ DO: Cultivate an Abundance Mindset
An abundance mindset is rooted in the belief that there is enough for everyone. Here are five ways to cultivate this mindset:
- Examine and rewrite limiting beliefs.
- Shift from expectation to detachment.
- Reflect on past successes to connect the dots backward.
- Seek inspiration in others’ stories.
- Celebrate your achievements and those of others.
🌟 Closing Reflection
“We just have to keep going until we find out what's wrong or find out why we don't know what's wrong.”
— Robert Pirsig
Reflect and Engage
- How do memes influence your perceptions of truth and trust? Share your thoughts in Meme Culture and Digital Propaganda.
- What role should social media platforms play in moderating content? Reflect in Social Media and Disinformation.
- How can adopting an abundance mindset improve your approach to personal growth? Explore more in Abundance Mindset and Personal Growth.
Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.