eljefe900

It has always been. That’s why it’s called “News” not “Olds”. Getting access to the most up to date information about the world has always been compelling. Whether it’s where the best hunting or foraging grounds were, who is in a relationship to who, or which person/people are attacking our tribe. It’s all the same now.

Aggregators like people who are gossips, newspapers and now social media are all attention based. Even the structure of writing of news stories to give you the main story in the headline, then start with the conclusion and fill in the details has been making this type of information bite sized from the dawn of time.

And now of course our “news” is global, often the stories about people are not people actually in our lives (Royals? Celebrities, who cares?), and politics have cranked us vs them to 11. No wonder it’s addictive.

Add in complicated feelings that we want to avoid (how bout that pandemic?) and looking at new information also serves as a distraction from the things we can or cannot change in our lives.

Be well weary news consumer. Get off your phone and enjoy nature.

My US centric bias is showing. Thanks for the reminder!

I suppose that a phonics lesson in Oz probably sounds a bit different than in the US. And they’re both effective. That’s fun to think about.

This article buries the lead.

TLDR: Phonics works, Current strategies don’t.

What actually works is the shortest part of the article. It’s infatuation with what doesn’t work puts what does work more than halfway into the article.

I would have appreciated the article to be structured as “Phonics works, MSV Doesn’t and here’s why they’re different”

Please excuse the tinfoil hat - is there any chance that this vulnerability was reintroduced at the request of the Chinese government to allow easier access to Hong Kong protesters devices?