Posted on 12/27/2009 6:27:05 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Anger greets Dutch queen's Christmas message
Published on 27 December 2009 - 12:08pm
Many media experts and internet users have fiercely criticised Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands following her 2009 Christmas message.
The queen tackled subjects including virtual communication which she said actually divided people rather than bringing them closer together. Although no names were given, she was taken to be referring to social networks such as Hyves, Facebook, Twitter and to text messaging in general.
Internet expert Vincent Everts has told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that the queen doesn't know what she's talking about. He argues the opposite of what she said is true.
Media academic Professor Mark Deuze agrees, believing the queen is in denial about the way society has changed. He thinks people have been drawn closer together, but on a global level rather than just locally.
One of the founders of the Hyves social network, Raymond Spanjer, has offered to open an account for the queen so she can report her experiences of the results.
Many columnists and Twitter users have complained that they were treated with contempt in the Christmas message. An estimated nine million people in the Netherlands make use of the Hyves network and a further 500,000 use Twitter.
Yes, they have that right and you have the right not to read them. That is called "freedom" something the internet helps keep alive, internet and talk radio in the US keeps freedom alive and informs people and helps them bond with other like thinkers.
The reverse is true of course, but as I said, that is freedom.
I suspect this Queen is pi**ed about the internet because it makes people aware of just how terrible muslims really are so therefore they don't have the "diversity" she would like in the netherlands.
Have you ever seen a text message? Do you think kids write letters? Do you think they spell properly? Understand capitalization? Punctuation? Do you think that instant gratification through the internet is teaching patience? Do you think that being anonymous fosters understanding of others? Or rude behavior because all they see is words on a screen? Technology can be helpful. But it can also destroy.
Show me where I said they didn’t have the right to be stupid?
You are right, it does foster closeness - between persons who cannot be bothered with their neighbours or others with a different interest or outlook.
As a group, they whiners sound a little like American queers who, in the words of Rodney Dangerfield, “just can’t get no respect.”
It has EVERYTHING to do with the internet age. When I get a card with a note inside from someone that I met online, and the note says "prolly" instead of probably, you think that's not a problem?! Internet speak in taking over in kids communication outside of the internet. You can pretend it isn't a problem but us older folk see very clearly that it is.
I am yet to see any scientific study that says teenagers don't socialize today,
We have a bunch of fat, lazy kids that sit their butts in front of a PC all day and you don't see a problem?
It is 7:44 am, Sunday morning. I should be getting ready for church. Instead I read all of what you just wrote. I have no life at all.
Don't sweat it.
Grab a coffee and FReep the morning away.
That's what I'm doing.
Cool! That was my message to Katrina Americans too.
Internet age is NOT equal to social interaction.
Again, teenagers go to dances, play basketball, hockey , football, etc, chase girls, go on dates just like teenagers did in my time.
“We have a bunch of fat, lazy kids that sit their butts in front of a PC all day and you don't see a problem?”
Nice attempt at bait and switch. Your reply has nothing to do with my post.
I will repeat what I said:
“I am yet to see any scientific study that says teenagers don't socialize today, because they spend all their free time on social networks."
If you have any such scientific studies, let us see it.
OK, then click HERE. This book (by a professor of English, no less) explains using decades of scientific studies (he used to be the head of research for the National Endowment for the Arts) how electronic communications are dumbing-down the young generation, substituting for real interaction and reducing the intellectual faculties of modern youth. They are faux-socializing... not really socializing (especially in ways that lead to cultural knowledge).
Now you can't say you've never seen scientific studies to the contrary...
Yup. The ones that don't live on the internet.
Nice attempt at bait and switch.
Not a bait and switch. The studies have been all over FR. You can ignore them if you like but it's been all over the news about overweight kids sitting their butts in front of a computer/video games/TV for years. Kids are NOT as active as when I was a kid. A PC has replaced real life.
Let me see...
From your post:
“This book (by a professor of English, no less) “
A professor in the English language is now a scientist?
Since when?
From your post again
“how electronic communications are dumbing-down the young generation”
“Dumbing down” is NOT equal to lack social interaction.
Some of the biggest party going teenagers are pretty dumb at school, but then are great a chasing girls. Equally, some of the smartest geeks at school, suck at dating girls or interacting socially with their peers.
You are not going to try and pass that faux “science” off as “proof” of anything are you?
There are plenty of kids who are incapable of counting out change without a cash register that tells them how but they can text! You’re a hoot dude, excusing the inexcusable. We’re done.
How many actually “live” on social networks though?
“Not a bait and switch.”
It was.
Your reply had nothing to do with my post.
That's bait and switch alright. You went off on a tangent of your own.
“You can ignore them if you like but it's been all over the news about overweight kids sitting their butts in front of a computer/video games/TV for years”
You are expanding it to different spheres.
Kids have been sitting “on their butts” watching TV/ playing Nintendo, long before social networks became popular. Facebook/MySpace have been around for how long? 6 years?
American kids were getting fat sitting in front of their TV sets for DECADES before anyone even dreamed up social networks. You can hardly blame Americans kids being fat on MySpace/Facebook which are very recent inventions, can you?
True.
But is that because of Facebook/Myspace?
We have had a maths problem with our youth in America for decades, long before social networks were even invented.
Feel free to continue in your ignorance. I won't bother you with information again...
FR and DU, etc. make her point exactly. We have congregated online with those of like mind. At FB, people join or become fans of people they are ideologically lined up with, so she’s absolutely right.
We are all further empowered by each other at these sites. It’s hard to think of a site where the frequenters don’t think THEY are absolutely right, and welcome others of different persuasions to discuss and/or debate issues civilly. And the internal debates can be the most vicious.
But the idea that the Queen’s message is a story worthy of anger by ‘experts’ in communications and the internet is humorous.
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