Group Think

I was going to write something up on the new Spoon record, but fuck it, I have to vent my spleen over the hive-mind, group think that is everywhere now.

The internet was supposed to democratize the flow of information, and it has in large measure, but it has also contributed to formation of new conventional wisdom: group think. Why? Well, everyone is a critic, and the internet has provided an avenue for everyone who has an opinion to publish it. Kinda like this blog. But if there is anything easier than being a critic, its regurgitating others views and criticism. It takes less time, imagination, and creativity - perfect for someone who wants to seem smart and well informed but doesn't want to put in the effort. So now the internet is an echo chamber that reflects good old CW while purporting to be independent analysis. In the context that I'm talking about (entertainment criticism) this is a relatively innocuous phenomenon. But it can have devastating real world consequences.

Of course, group think existed before the internet. But if there's one thing the internet does real good its distribute information - too bad if it turns out to be incorrect or biased. So, now we have people espousing opinions they have co-opted from others - again nothing new - and it spreads like a virus. The only way to innoculate yourself against it is to form your own opinions. What a novel thought.