Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Not true.
Never was.
Never will be.
Well, maybe back before the Stone Age, before we used words to communicate. Maybe then, damage was wreaked with sticks and stones to change others' behaviour. Not so in the Digital Age, we all know that. Sticks and stones, how quaint. If only....
Digital Age communication tactics seeking to change behaviour, that's next level. The British Government had classified tactics employed by Cambridge Analytica (of hacking your FB data fame) as "Weapons-Grade" communication.
"Weapons-Grade" Communication. WTF? What does that even mean, you might be wondering. If you haven't yet seen The Great Hack on Netflix, please watch it to find out. In the meantime, here's a clip of then Cambridge Analytica execs describing how they effectively deployed their Behaviour Change Strategy to influence general elections in Trinidad.
Breath taking....in all the wrong ways.
This morning, I changed my deactivated FB account into a deleted FB account. Small action, I know. But an action nevertheless. An action prompted by the storytellers who made this documentary. Of course, it's not just FB. It's part and parcel of living in the Digital Age.
Yes, words can hurt.
But, words can also help.
I'd love to know what, if anything, you are moved to do.