Latest Unsubstantiated Claim: Twitter Makes You Immoral

from the oh,-please... dept

What is it with these bizarre exaggerated claims about the "harms" associated with modern social networking tools? There was just a totally exaggerated report claiming that social networking was harmful to your health, but when you looked at the details, it didn't actually say that at all. The latest, is the claim that new research says that Twitter can make you "immoral." Really? Well, if you actually read the details that doesn't seem to be what the report says at all. Instead, it seems to note that if you only interact with people through short bursts of information, it may take you longer to recognize the emotional impact of what's being said because it's harder to spend the time to reflect. It's difficult to see how that finding is really all that new or surprising. But it says nothing about Twitter somehow turning moral people into immoral people, as the original story suggests.
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Filed Under: hype, morality, studies, twitter
Companies: twitter


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  • identicon
    yozoo, 14 Apr 2009 @ 11:03am

    Screw these guys

    Im gonna get my drug sharing, casual sex twitter group together and we are gonna tweet short, hurtful things about these people (while watching porn)!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    RD, 14 Apr 2009 @ 11:35am

    why?

    Why? Well, because its on the internets stupid! You see, new technology is scary and people that cant be bothered to understand it lash out and belittle it. If its new and sophisticated, and ESPECIALLY if it empowers people, why, then it must be wrong! Immoral! EVIL! It must be struck down and the scourge must be washed away!

    Frickin' luddites.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Crabby (profile), 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:47pm

      Re: why?

      "ESPECIALLY if it empowers people"

      You're onto something, RD. It's not that people are scared of the technology, they're scared of losing control over other people. They're scared that they might not matter in the grand scheme of things. That's why you see every politician jumping onto the bandwagon to save us from the perils of technology -- we might realize just how useless they are.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chronno S. Trigger, 14 Apr 2009 @ 11:45am

    Unsubstantiated claims galore

    How about Facebook dumbs you down.

    There is no possible way that one can possibly test these things fully. They can only see correlation not causation. It's like saying air makes people fat due to a study of 10,000 large people where 100% said they breath the stuff.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      kirillian (profile), 14 Apr 2009 @ 2:57pm

      Re: Unsubstantiated claims galore

      dang...I knew air was hazardous to my health...guess I'll have to turn to more acceptable methods to keep this impending weight off...bulimia or anorexia...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chris, 14 Apr 2009 @ 11:47am

    I'm waiting for synchronized internet suicides via Twitter. Surely it'll be a hit in Japan soon, if not already.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:06pm

    "...it may take you longer to recognize the emotional impact of what's being said because it's harder to spend the time to reflect. It's difficult to see how that finding is really all that new or surprising"

    So you accept the premise that if you don't emote sufficiently you become less moral ? !!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:07pm

    "Instead, it seems to note that if you only interact with people through short bursts of information, it may take you longer to recognize the emotional impact of what's being said"

    In the US Navy I was force to learn Morse Code.

    Now I molest kittens.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      TheStuipdOne, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:20pm

      Re:

      :'(

      poor kittens

      they probably had it coming anyway ... looking at you like that and purring as they caress your legs

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Tgeigs, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:27pm

      Re:

      The Flying Spaghetti Monster will reign his noodely vengence upon you in a hail of delicious but fattening meatballs, which you will be helpless to keep from consuming, resulting in a gradual degradation of your arterial health, and killing you in vengence in perhaps...I don't know, twenty years?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Malachai, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:15pm

    OUTLANDER!!!!

    Your wicked ways will be cleansed by "He Who Walks Behind the Rows".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jim, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:34pm

    Immoral

    Oh, I thought you said 'immortal'. Damn.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Yakko Warner, 14 Apr 2009 @ 1:03pm

      Re: Immoral

      This must be my day for mis-reading Techdirt titles, because that's what I thought, too. Figured it'd be a story on the persistence of things posted to the intertubes...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    David Lagesse, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:40pm

    News Report: Immortal Dolphins

    Dateline: Honolulu, Hawaii,
    Reported by Kawika Keoni of the Hawaii News Network
    Today dolphin research scientist, Lopaka K. Espinda was arrested at Kewalo Basin.
    - - Escaped lion recaptured.

    Story as follows:
    Approximately three years ago, noted dolphin research scientist, Lopaka K. Espinda developed a theory:
    "If seagulls were fed to dolphins every day for a month, the dolphins would never die."
    After many failed attempts, Espinda finally got the research grant that he needed for the “Dolphin Feeding Project”.
    The Dolphin Research Laboratories, “Dolphin Feeding Project” was carried out at Honolulu's, Kewalo Basin Yacht Harbor.
    While elsewhere today, at the Honolulu Zoo the long awaited transfer of lions to the new Hawaii State Zoo on the Big Island, was taking place. After the trucks had left the Honolulu Zoo and were in-route to the airport, one of the lions escaped from the truck.
    Police, Fire, Animal Control and Zoo officials were put on alert to be on the lookout for an escaped lion.
    When the Governor was notified about the situation, he was heard to say: "I realize it is now the responsibility of the State if any one is hurt by that lion."
    It can now be reported that this was the last and final day of the “Dolphin Feeding Project”. Espinda was in the Laboratory's food preparation room preparing the last of the seagulls to feed to the dolphins, as he opened the door he was shocked to find the escaped lion blocking his only pathway out. As he later told this reporter, "I knew that time was running out and that I must complete my project now, or I will never be able to get any new funding." He also stated that he was somewhat relieved to discover that the lion was sound asleep; he then cautiously tiptoed over the sleeping lion.
    That is when the Police, Fire, Animal Control and Zoo officials arrived at the scene of the crime, the Police arrested Espinda, and the Zoo officials re-captured the lion.

    He was arrested!

    But what were the charges?


    ILLEGAL TRANSPORTATION OF GULLS ACROSS THE STATE LION, FOR IMMORTAL PORPOISES

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:45pm

      Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins

      So much build up...so little pay off.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Tgeigs, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:48pm

      Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins

      David, it's important to me that you know that I'm praying for your death right now...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      zcat, 14 Apr 2009 @ 1:58pm

      Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins

      Joke FAIL. If you're going to tell a shaggy dog story at least get the details correct so the punchline makes some sense.

      They were Mynah birds [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna], not gulls. And the Lion had been sedated, which is why it fell asleep outside his door.

      Charges; transporting mynas across a sedate lion for immortal porpoises.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        David Lagesse, 14 Apr 2009 @ 3:53pm

        Re: Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins

        Note to Zcat:
        What ever way anyone hears anything the first time, is always the 'right way', to them.
        You heard it as "mynas across a sedate lion". I did not, I heard it, one time only, on Chicago's WLS radio way back in the 1960's as "gulls across the state lion".
        Your way is 'right' to you. You tell it 'your way'.
        My way is 'right' to me. I'll tell it 'my way'.

        I know what a myna bird is... I lived in Hawaii.
        BTW How is your memory?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    David Lagesse, 14 Apr 2009 @ 12:58pm

    Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins, by Tgeigs

    At least now you have started praying for something, we had all thought there was no hope for you.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Tgeigs, 14 Apr 2009 @ 1:28pm

      Re: Re: News Report: Immortal Dolphins, by Tgeigs

      Took a look at your site. As a fellow native Illinoian (sp?) and apparently fellow Navy Seamen as well, I retract my statement and proclaim your joke the most humorous of all time. Especially if you ever attained rank above Chief Petty Officer.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tgeigs, 14 Apr 2009 @ 2:12pm

    "Joke FAIL. If you're going to tell a shaggy dog story at least get the details correct so the punchline makes some sense."

    David, as your vaguely former superior officer in a roundabout way, I order you to fire upon that man with the 80mm guns and then retreat in one of the LCVPs.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tony, 14 Apr 2009 @ 4:22pm

    WTF?

    I suppose keeping a diary, if you write short entries, is immoral. Maybe keeping a diary, itself, is immoral! So is leaving a postit note on the fridge... You know what? Every thing we do, say or eat, is going to result in school shootings, the downfall of society and give us cancer! Shit, we should just drink some hemlock now!

    GAH!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    VlogHog, 14 Apr 2009 @ 4:51pm

    Twitter is immoral, dangerous and a threat to all humaan civilization.

    People communicating with each other is sick.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    toyotabedzrock, 14 Apr 2009 @ 6:37pm

    Causes Lack of Morales to be Exposed

    I think Twitter has caused stupid Republicans lack of morales to be publicly exposed.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
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    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
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