Social media is evil.

[Robin4]

@Kath9 from Albany made a great comment today! She said...."Hang in there @Airbnb - this to shall pass!."...and it will.

My concern is that social media sites...and I guess we could put the CC in this category, search for dud content.

If I use America as an example, over here in Australia we only see the best and the worst of America, we don’t get to hear or see that vast middle ground where nothing newsworthy happens. For that reason outsiders tend to see the US as a nation of extremes.

For argument sake, a Utube video will show a street interviewer in Chicago, Memphis, Wichita, asking those that pass on the sidewalk, “Where is Australia?” and half of them don’t even want to volunteer an answer they just shrug their shoulders. Of the other half, 50% of them will say it’s in Europe or in the south Atlantic ocean, only 5% will have a stab at where on the globe Australia is.

We in Australia look at this and go….”You have to kidding, how does the bulk of that nation actually make it to adulthood!

The thing they don’t reveal is 80% of the people stopped knew exactly where Australia was, the video producer just didn’t think that 80% was worth showing in the video clip.

We don't get an accurate representation on social media, we see the extremes.

Airbnb has done sh*t loads of good, I have loved my association with Airbnb, and they have never done the wrong thing by me.....they send me guests and pay me....all 370 of them over the past 4 years, never missed once!

I am cross that the management try to fudge their way around issues, but @Kath9 has a good point, the company have been good for us, sure it hasn't been perfect, and there are many legitimate complaints in any business venture, Christ, I copped enough in mine! Running a business is hard, you can't be all things to all people.....and at times I think we need to remember that! 

Social media does not necessarily makes us better informed, it just polarises us!

Cheers.......Rob

[Robin4]

@Kath9 

Times have changed Kath but you are to a certain extent right. 

We were last in the US in early/mid September 2013 (remember that time-frame) and spent 10 days in New York. The TV news services are something of a revelation! To the regular US viewer the world ends at the continent's 'low water' mark! They learn virtually nothing about what happens in the rest of the world. When we were there, there was substantial flooding in the mid west and there was a shooting at a naval base in Washington, and that took almost the entire output of the news services. Hours were spent graphically showing and re-showing the rescue of a man from his submerged vehicle that had ended up in a flooded creek in somewhere like Iowa or Nebraska!

I said, remember that time line! At the same time there was a terrorist attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi in Kenya where 60+ people were killed.......that 'item' barely made the scroll line and the bottom of the screen!

But from the time we have spent there, I have found Americans to be very knowledgeable and helpful. We spent 10 days in Queens, which many will say, is not the most desirable of locations on Long Island but, I found everyone there wonderfully warm and welcoming, particularly the younger coloured people. Ade was in a wheelchair then and everywhere we went they jumped out to help us...I really had not expected such hospitality and help.

And from our various cruises I have found their knowledge of international things to be really good.

It's just that we don't get a balanced opinion of the US. All we get is trashy TV series and ...social media......not a good way to promote a country!

Cheers......Rob

[Sarah977]

@Robin4  The US is a very large country- you are going to run into a higher percentage of educated people in NY or SF than you are in the rural midwest or south. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of educated, intelligent people there, but the education system varies greatly in different regions. 52% of Americans have basic or below basic literacy skills. 4% are non-literate. Pretty shocking statistics for a developed country.

"Most of them can sign forms, compare ticket prices for two events and look up shows in a TV guide. Most cannot find places on a map, calculate the cost of office supplies from a catalog and compare viewpoints in two editorials."

https://www.wyliecomm.com/2019/03/us-literacy-rate/

[Kath9]

@Robin4sad to hear things haven't changed then re the news. I remember this clearly from when I was there - national (US) news, local stories (many of which weren't even newsworthy), followed by HEAPS of sport (football, basketball), but virtually NO world news. I was shocked when I saw this. Do Americans realise that other countries show the world news as well as their own national news? It's no wonder many Americans think that nothing exists outside their country. Having said that, like you Robin, I can truly say I met some of the best and most generous and progressive people of my life in the US. A country of extremes for sure.

[Kim2360]

And they vote!

[Robin4]

@Kim2360 

Now Kim, I think the Electoral College system has far more say than the voter in the street.

You may get the congressman, or the senator you want....but that sure as hell doesn't mean you will get the leaders you want!

Cheers........Rob

[Sarah977]

@Kath9  Pres. George W. Bush didn't even know the name of the Canadian Prime Minister, which was Jean Chretien, at the time. He once referred to him as Prime Minister Poutine. Poutine is a popular Quebecois food item consisting of french fires and cheese curds covered in gravy.

And it always cracks me up when I tell someone from elsewhere that I'm from Canada, which is the second largest country in the world, and they say "Oh, maybe you know my brother? He lives in Toronto." When I tell them that's 3000 kms from where I lived in Canada, they're dumbstruck.

[Fred13]

And here I thought Canada was but a territory somewhere 'north' where the cute polar bears go on rides on pieces of ice for fun, and the caribou run about mindlessly and the eskimos are constantly chasing them for exercise. 

Seriously speaking, general education in the U.S. started taking a beating starting in the anti-intellectual 70's due to trendy social forces; the internet is now helping remedy those foolish turns, for those using it wisely of course.

[Sarah977]

@Fred13  Canadians all live in igloos, too, don't forget that part. Because of course it's always freezing cold everywhere in Canada all year.

[Fred13]

The 'fact' all Canadians live in igloos doesn't merit further examination, everyone knows that. LoL

[Inna22]

@Sarah977  yes, it shocks many that I don’t know their friend Olga. And I can’t count how many times people wanted to watch a true Russian drink vodka (I am Jewish by the way, won’t even begin competing with a true Russian - know better than that- they drink that stuff for breakfast!)

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Well, I'm Russian Jewish, too, so undoubtedly we must be first cousins or something.

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 now that explains your sense of humor and why I like you so much!

[Kath9]

@Sarah977hahaha, sounds just like Dubya. Trump probably doesn't know who the Canadian prime minister is either. And I know what you mean about people asking whether you know someone - however, in Australia, it's often true! When I was travelling in the US, it was not long after Crocodile Dundee had come out, which seemed to be the only point of reference most Americans had for Australia. So, A LOT of people asked me if I knew Paul Hogan. I didn't (of course), but the funny thing was that a close friend of mine's sister was married to Paul Hogan's son! A few degrees of separation, but it was something!

[Robin4]

@Kath9 

Kath, just close your eyes, this could be the real thing!

https://youtu.be/U2pMkW7EwSc?t=15

In fact.......this probably makes more sense than the real thing!

Cheers.....Rob

@Sarah977 

[Kath9]

Hahaha, nice one @Robin4. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump actually said this!