[時事英文新聞] Social Media and the Rise of Radicalism
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社群媒體會導致極端主義的興盛嗎? 社群媒體的發展應該提供大眾更多的平台分享彼此的看法，使社會更加和諧。可是從美國大選卻看出社群媒體使得社會大眾的意見走向分極化，各論壇的發言者也常為了一句話，無止盡的爭吵。這個問題會持續惡化下去嗎? 到底要如何解決?
同學看一下以下的時事英文，更了解這個問題的起因以及解決的方式!
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時事詞彙:
filter bubble 過濾泡泡; 個人化資料過濾
fringe groups 邊緣群體
mass influx of ...的大量湧入
the media 媒體
transnational melting pot 跨國的熔爐
cross-cultural dialog 跨文化的對話
freedom of expression 言論自由
offensive content 攻擊性內容
foment reactionary hatred 煽動反動仇恨
birds of a feather flock together 物以類聚
globalization 全球化
limbo 界外；被遺忘的地方
remove the physical barrier 移除物理障礙; 消除距離的障礙
rising radicalism 崛起的激進主義
serendipitous discovery 意外的獲得
echo chamber 回聲室; 回音室
confirmation bias 確認偏誤
prejudices and views 偏見和看法
algorithm 演算法
all-inclusive 包羅萬象
reinforce ideas 加強想法
a kernel of truth 一點事實
hegemony 領導權,支配權 (a situation in which one state or country controls others)
be threatened by 被…威脅
self-interest 自我利益
self-preservation 自我保護
conservatism 保守主義
isolationism 孤立主義
the tides are turning 潮汐正在轉向
(turn the tide: to cause a reversal in the direction of events)
a turn of events 形勢的變化
an unexpected turn of events 爆冷門
distort our view of society 扭曲了我們對社會的看法
eccentric古怪的, 反常的
out of the norm 不尋常 ; 超過正常的範圍
out of touch with society 與社會脫節
adjust our mindset 調整我們的心態
move forward 向前邁進
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In this fast-paced globalized world (全球化的世界), the social media is responsible for the mass influx of (...的大量湧入) personal opinions online. Nowadays almost everyone has a Facebook or Twitter account. The rise of (...的興起) social media has removed the physical barrier (物理障礙; 消除距離的障礙) between individuals of similar interests and allow them to have a common ground (共同點) for interaction. On the other hand, social media, while making it easier for people to present their opinions, may also encourage rising radicalism (崛起的激進主義). The fact that certain opinions that may be viewed as offensive (冒犯的), for instance, can cause social media to be a source of disputes (爭端的來源). Social media also serves to reinforce confirmation bias (加強確認偏誤). Once you've found your friends on Facebook, they share their news, gossip, and discoveries with you. This can be a source of serendipitous discovery (意外的發現) but it can serve as an echo chamber (回聲室; 回音室), slowly persuading you that everyone views the world the way you do, because the people you know on Facebook share your prejudices and views (偏見和看法). Hence, it should be the aim of social networks such as Facebook to help users broaden their perspectives by listening to a different set of (另外一組; 不同的) views than what they typically encounter in their daily lives.
Audio: https://soundcloud.com/eric-yang-51/social-media
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Sources:
https://theinitium.com/article/20160716-opinion-xian-internet/
http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/social-media-is-turning-us-into-thoughtless-political-extremists
http://www.voanews.com/a/social-media-orlando-shooting/3374048.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/03/zuckerman.facebook.global/
Image source: https://sciolisticramblings.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/echo-chamber-7.jpg?w=584
