You know what I mean?

We’re constantly being told from all sides that a terrible war is raging. I just wonder what our public and private media would have left to report without this tragic event. Less bloody, but just as foolish, is this whole information war. I’m thinking of the so-called intelligence leakers. The things they want to know! What they apparently don’t realize is that they’re losing their credibility. With the rise of social media, traditional media outlets—TV, radio, and print—have faced stiff competition. Social media stands for the rapid dissemination of information and opinions. This has led to a veritable “democratization” of the media landscape. As is the case everywhere, these newly gained freedoms have led to global political and economic crises in both well-known and lesser-known instances. The various social media channels were part of the problem in this regard. In the model aviation hobby, the exchange of technical and flying-related information plays a role that should not be underestimated. It has now been recognized that invitations to fly together can quickly overwhelm local capacity. Among friends, the exchange of rather trivial or even ridiculous messages may be accepted. Often, however, this also stems from a desire for attention or as a way to “make up for” other lacking activities—all for the benefit of an entire community. I find the “great” habit of forwarding every bit of “nonsense” even worse.

In my experience, we “old-timers” unfortunately cannot set a good example in this regard. If this nonsense even causes personal connections to fall by the wayside, it should give us pause for thought. If, on the other hand, social media fosters friendly get-togethers, I’m all for it; because then the word “social” is filled with meaning. Best of luck! ■

Emil Ch. Giezendanner