I think sheâs hit the nail on the head with her analysis of Twitter.
Twitter is full of gasbags who love to hear their own voice and political junkies - mostly of the left-wing progressive flavour, but there certainly are conservative personalities on there.
The only reason it gets such traction in the media is because media personalities and journalists are exactly the type of people who regularly use it, and thus theyâll happily write articles about the latest hashtag campaign on Twitter thinking that people are interested.
I would never engage with Twitter using an account because it clearly is just so toxic once people engage with others outside of their echo chamber circle, but it is incredibly useful for finding out whatâs going on in the rumour mill because itâs so easily searchable.
What I donât understand is why journalists and other public figures choose to have a public Twitter account. You donât need a Twitter account to research topics (search.twitter.com works fine), so that argument is moot. If you insist on having a Twitter feed so you can follow people, just create an anonymous one so you donât receive a pile-on direct to your inbox whenever you say something that offends someone.
Keeping a public profile with full engagement/regular tweets and blocking people you think are being abusive is clearly not a sustainable strategy. Itâs as effective as swatting flies in the middle of a blistering summer.
Is twitter really an echo chamber? all the state and territory elections in the last 18 months would suggest that attitudes on twitter are representative of society.
I think its Leigh Sales and the Sydney media that are out of touch and in the echo chamber.
Itâs a collection of echo chambers. I think the progressive echo chamber is by far the largest, but there are definitely conservative echo chambers as well of different flavours. Itâs when the two worlds collide that all hell breaks loose.
I still donât think itâs representative of society - the Twitter progressives seem to be far more aligned to the Greens than the relatively centrist Labor governments that have been elected over the past 18 months.
Just out of interest, Iâd be keen to know if anyone on here thinks they would like to wear a mask permanently into the future, once the coronavirus pandemic is well and truly behind us, even just as a cautious measure for other infectious diseases?
While I donât think masks will be here forever, they are likely to be with us for quite a while. Theyâre not too much of a nuisance compared to other protective measures. As many have said on this forum, itâs a little price to pay to keep us safe. Not just for COVID-19, but for things like the flu as you seem to suggest.
⌠Speaking of the flu, there have been far less cases with all these measures like mask-wearing and lockdown. Not that a full lockdown is viable just to stop the spread of the flu, there would be economic and social issues by doing thatâŚ
I dont think masks will be mandated forever but I do think you will see many more people wearing them - especially in workplaces and public transport. I think it will just become second nature to people. I for one will continue to wear them in the cooler months just because they make my face warmer and because you never know what sort of viruses you could be spreading.
Texas is an interesting test case for what happens when opening up with 60% of adults fully vaccinated. Looks like the death rate is the same as previous waves from when there was no vaccine.
In other news the ACT has now overtaken the least vaccinated US states West Virginia and Wyoming.
Under Phase C of the national reopening plan, triggered when Australiaâs double vaccination rates reach 80 per cent, vaccinated Australians would be exempt from all travel restrictions.
Under the NTâs stage 3 roadmap, triggered when the Territory reaches 80 per cent full vaccination, travellers from so-called âred zonesâ (declared COVID hotspots) must undergo 14 daysâ self-quarantine â even if they are fully vaccinated.
Unvaccinated travellers from red zones will be banned from entering the NT altogether, unless they have a pre-approved reason for travel, such as essential work.
The same rules will apply to travellers from orange zones, which will be areas with medium-level COVID risk.
Here in regional Qld weâve only had to wear masks once for 2 weeks and the only lockdown was last year but was weird because ice cream shop could open, hairdresser, bank ,post office all was open. Big W was also open. All I remember was food was takeaway no dine in.
Iâm really worried about SA, QLD and WA. Half the people I talk to in SA just seem to think covid isnât an issue for them and want to wait and see.
i dont think iâd be concerned about those states ⌠yet. they are fully utilising the doses they are being provided, so it wouldnât make much sense for their leaders to push people to get vaccines that donât exist.
Iâd hope that changes next week when the UK doses come online and moderna is available.
I am worried about the hesitancy just from conversations I am having. I think itâs going to be an uphill battle for them to get to 70% let alone 80%.
You do have to remember that SA still has Astrazeneca second shots at 12 instead of 4-8 weeks like in NSW & Vic. Iâm sure SA will get there eventually.
