TCC #5: Slow thinking vs sensationalisation

Hot takes. Media frenzies. Controversies. Internet outrage.

The common ingredient to all these things? A need to think fast, publish fast (and get those sweet, sweet views).

After all, negative opinions garner more attention (at least at first) than more balanced, nuanced takes.

One of the recent examples of this? In April, The Dalai Lama had a video go viral of him asking a child to 'suck his tongue'.

It went viral in media. Internet commentators were outraged, calling him a pedophile and accusing him of child abuse. Many heated comments appeared, creating even more anger and outrage.

People on Twitter screamed and shouted. Disgusting! Absolutely sick, they said!

But later, it emerged that this was a cross-cultural miscommunication. What we consider ‘disgusting’ in the Western world is communicating affection in Tibetan culture.

Those nuances get lost in translation. Misinterpretations generate outrage, which demands all your attention, especially when you're absorbed in your phone screen.

For more context/another perspective on the video:

• Stop Sensationalizing the Dalai Lama's Innocent Interactions | A Tibetan's Perspective.

• The facts behind His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the viral video from the Tibet Policy Institute

I gotta admit, I was taken in too.

I felt the entire cycle of outrage, anger, disappointment, and consumed media around that.

But once those clarifications came out, I realized there was another side to the story. While it’s still difficult for me to interpret the act through the Tibetan lens, the least I can do is acknowledge multiple sides to the story and come to a conclusion based on one flawed piece of information.

The antidote to getting caught in outrage cycles? Slow thinking.

Slow thinking takes time to consider, question, and examine situations from different angles.

And this set of skills is applicable everywhere, from how you interact with digital media to how you evaluate and communicate a message.

It's looking at Twitter threads, 'hot takes' on LinkedIn, and written articles while not accepting them as fact and looking for other nuances before judging whether these tips apply to your unique situation.

It's taking a step back and looking at situations from different angles, asking yourself:

• Am I unknowingly applying the lens of my culture to something that doesn't follow the same principles?

• What am I assuming to be true here, and is it true?

• Is there anything that makes a brand's success story unique that another brand applying the same strategy cannot replicate?

• Has this piece of media been taken out of context? What's the original context of this video, article or case study?

• Have I fact-checked this information?

This is a valuable thing for us to remember that goes beyond your professional role. It's evaluating everything you see on the Internet, recognising biases and invisible scripts that influence how you think.

The thing is, it's easy to see all these, nod your head and carry on with your day. But outrage and anger are also exceptional at overwhelming our ability to think.

So we need to take time to feel the feelings and take a time out (step away from the phone or computer and breathe) before coming back with a fresh perspective.

3 thoughtful reads of the week

1. The garden and the stream:

One of my favourite distillations of how to use a slow thinking approach to interpret information from the Internet. This helps to counter the fact that social media platforms like to show us things that confirm our point of view on a topic. It's a long, thoughtful read.

In essence; stay away from the "Post" button until you've considered a few other perspectives.

2. Fckoatly:

Pretty cool way to own the conversation around your brand if you have loads of controversies. Brands often hide from bad press, but Oatly has gone the opposite route; turning bad press into a smartly-designed website in its cheeky tone of voice.

Contagious did a great analysis of the campaign here too.

Will it resonate with people who don't like Oatly? I was impressed at their courage, but it also reminded me of their past controversies, which I've long forgotten, so I'm not sure if it worked out as well as it could. Kudos to them for attempting to own the conversation, though.

3. Educational vs. Sales Nurture:

Bottom line: if people engaged with you on an educational level (e.g downloaded a white paper, keep your nurture educational. If someone engages on a sales level, then bring in the sales-related nurturing sequences.

1 recommended resource

Periodic table of storytelling:

Incredible work from the mind of content designer James Harris. Plus, you can click on each element, taking you to an in-depth definition from TVtropes.com. The 'story molecules' break down the elements of well-known movies, TV shows and video games. Perfect if you want something to geek out about or are curious about how different stories come together.

1 cool tool

Canned emails:

• Works for those situations when you’re staring at your screen wondering what to write. Short of using ChatGPT, here’s some personable email templates for all kinds of situations to use as a starting point