I&#x27;m worried, but only <i>slightly</i> more worried than I already am about the effects of mass media on societies.<p>Articles like these often give me mixed feelings. On the one hand, it&#x27;s good to point out these specific dangers. On the other hand, it strikes me as counter-productive to focus or spend energy on this &#x27;hypothetical&#x27; situation when the current media landscape is already way too big and bad an influence on our democracy.<p>It&#x27;s a bit like discussing Obama&#x27;s track record ad nauseam when it&#x27;s quite likely that he himself has limited influence, and the problems are deeper and broader. It&#x27;s a case of focusing on a symptom at the expense of fighting the root cause.<p>(that said, I&#x27;m also conflicted because it could also be said that it&#x27;s better to get going, fight a symptom, and see where the path leads, rather than sussing out the root cause and then feeling powerless to do anything about it)