The Answer to Fake News? #RealSocial.
#RealSocial — Why is it?
In an era of pervasive technology and information asymmetry, the powers and effects of deception are increased and targeted to specific audiences. This situation is dangerous to the healthy functioning of a democracy. The problem of fake news is a unique problem which arises in the environment due to certain conditions being present. We identify three characteristics which help create fertile conditions for a fake news modern era to emerge.
#1 — Silos
The world wide web has us all sliced and diced, segmented, quantified, measured, and targeted; effectively siloing and isolating individuals into a personalized information space of their own. Through social networking, group dynamics emerge naturally and thus culture and society are shaped and influenced through the forces of any group which manages to achieve sufficient scale and relevance. In an era of fake news these groups are easily mislead and deceived. It’s an era of information warfare and this kind of war doesn’t distinguish between soldiers in the army and civilians in the city. We are all under attack by fake news.
It’s time to fight back. It’s time to get real. #RealSocial. This siloed characteristic of today’s world creates the need for our first core value to be established — compassion. It’s a value that signifies integration and the breakdown of information silos.
Integrate through Diversity vs Divide through Identity.
This will be the way for anyone who decides to join the Citizen’s Cafe community.
#2 — Consciousness (or lack thereof)
We have a crisis of conscience in our world. Debt based monetary systems driving consumer economies into infinite growth is unsustainable and well documented. This situation reflects the reality which the power of fake news is able to maintain. As a society, the people are suffering. Data showing increasing rates of mental health issues, anti-depressant use, and substance abuse among a host of other issues not to mention the deadly violence which brings tragedy on a daily basis to families across the world — is a terror. While we are making progress technologically as a species, humanity is suffering at a great cost for this progress.
It’s time to end the suffering. It’s time to get real. #RealSocial. This mechanical activity of today’s world characterized by a lack of conscious activity creates the need for our second core value to be established — cooperation. It’s a value that signifies the effort required to evolve ourselves towards achieving the pinnacle of Maslow’s pyramid; self-actualization. We call this quality of effort conscious suffering. With this, the method of cooperation is found in
Self-Aware Action vs Self-Defensive Reaction.
This will be the way for anyone who decides to join the Citizen’s Cafe community.
#3 — Culture Decay
The ability for the human mind to process information creates the conditions necessary for creative expression. In an era of fake news this makes culture toxic as fake information, misinformation, and a world of clashing, inconsistent and incompatible narratives emerge. This creates tension and division in society as people are increasingly polarized into their own realities. The culture of a nation breaks down under such conditions; it does not flourish. A nation begins to act in unison towards common goals under a set of commonly accepted values. A fake news reality punctures the armor of this unity and effectively divides a nation to the detriment of achieving its goals. Every nation is subject to this attack. Every culture that wishes to survive must be proactive in their perseverance of upholding their values and their proper expression. As times progress, so do the society’s internal conversation and discussion about its cultural evolution. A constant re-evaluation and re-affirmation of those values through loud and proud creative expression is what defines a culture and makes social life amazingly worth living.
It’s time to revitalize culture. It’s time to get real. #RealSocial. Hate, division, violence, and collective force — the characteristics which take over a broken culture — creates the need for our third core value to be established — creation. It’s a value that signifies our purpose as expressive emotionally intelligent human beings. The one common thing among all human beings is the desire to be free from external authority such that one can be free to express themselves as they wish and live their lives as they wish. Of course, naturally, the common set of shared values within any particular culture define the limits to which the culture accepts the individual freedom. The strive to discover these limits within the context of a functional and thriving civilized society is what defines our community’s culture. We strive towards
Maximum Individual Freedom vs Maximum Collective Force.
This will be the way for anyone who decides to join the Citizen’s Cafe community.
#RealSocial — What is it?
Boston
Home of the American Revolution — physically, it started in Boston, Massachusetts. Its historical relevance to our mission provided the proper physical environment necessary to cultivate and inspire an impulse to begin our journey of shaping the future.
Global
Of course, in the 21st century we are all connected.
All of us, as global citizens of planet Earth, have this in common. Technology has gotten us this far and #RealSocial represents a strong commitment to continuing this journey. We want to explore technology’s ability to help us define a more positive global culture — one where individual freedom is maximized, where diversity in identity is used as a natural point of integration versus using identity as a point of division and fear, and where people act and behave in a self-aware state versus the self-defensive state which produces much of the toxicity we see today in human relations online and beyond.
Using Technology To Make The World A Better Place
Sounds simple right?
We all know how impossibly complicated it is for the ordinary human stuck in the trappings of society to achieve any amount of success in these regards.
Let’s face it, the social networks we currently use today have not significantly empowered ordinary citizens to impact the course of events in their governments and nations as a whole. However, the social networks we currently use today do significantly empower central authorities to impact the course of events in our individual lives and nations as a whole.
Where does that leave the individual?
Where is our technology for enormous impact?
The Citizen’s Cafe community operates under a cohesive set of values. Simple principles and ideas are kept in mind. The desire to seek the truth in all things and evolve to a higher state of conscience and consciousness is our goal. We want to raise human consciousness on a global scale.
It is with this mighty attitude and strength of conviction in purpose where we find our foundation to happily break bread together.
- #RealSocial is a state of mind one acquires when one is ready to dedicate their life to making the world a better place.
- #RealSocial is a recognition that no one needs permission to make the world a better place.
- #RealSocial is acknowledging the reality that our generation is desperately missing the quality of civic and social leaders previous generations had the blessings of experiencing.
- #RealSocial is fully understanding the one-way state of surveillance and data collection that occurs on the public by both public and private institutions today and how that creates an asymmetric power dynamic working against individual freedom and liberty.
- #RealSocial is a curious and healthy desire to connect with others of opposing views and engage in civil discourse for the purpose of self-development, growth, and of potentially having a compassionate, cooperative, and creative experience with other human beings.
- #RealSocial is a network where people go to engage with their reality, not escape from it.
- #RealSocial is the network people seek to challenge their own belief systems, exchange critical thoughts with one another and work cooperatively with others towards a positive tangible impact on our neighborhoods, communities, and societies.
- #RealSocial is integrating technology with the spirit of mankind to create the most civically empowering technology the world has yet to see.
- #RealSocial is personally experiencing the patience, commitment, strength and effort required to build a new culture and raise human consciousness on a global scale without fear.
It’s time to get Real. #RealSocial
If you agree, please visit Citizen’s Cafe and and connect with us! We want to hear from you!
