Barack Obama lamented Sunday that “with iPads and iPods,” information has become a distraction that is putting new pressures on the U.S.A. and “democracy.”
“‘You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank all that high on the truth meter,’ Obama said at Hampton University, Virginia,” AFP reports. “‘With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation,’ Obama said.”
MacDailyNews Note: During the 2008 election, KCAL-TV covered Candidate Obama’s advertisements placed inside eighteen of Microsoft’s Xbox video games:
Direct link via YouTube here.
AFP continues, “He bemoaned the fact that ‘some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction,’ in the clamor of certain blogs and talk radio outlets. ‘All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy… We can’t stop these changes… but we can adapt to them,’ Obama said, adding that US workers were in a battle with well-educated foreign workers. ‘Education… can fortify you, as it did earlier generations, to meet the tests of your own time,’ he said.”
Full article here.
Obama’s commencement address at Hampton University:
Direct link via YouTube here.
[Update: 2:08pm EDT. Pulled the Take because the point we were attempting to make seems to have been either too satirical or not satirical enough. Our fault, not yours. We blame the weekend help.]
[Update: 11:37pm EDT. Added link to 2008 report on Obama campaign’s ads in Xbox video games. Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
[Update: 11:59pm EDT. Added link to Obama’s commencement address at Hampton University. Thanks to MacDailyNews reader “Algr” for the heads up and the nice compliment.]
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “TowerTone” for the AFP article heads up.]
I suspect that Obama’s principal objection to the iPad is that he doesn’t get to control what we can read on them.
-jcr
some of which don’t always rank all that high on the truth meter
Like when a politician tries to tell us that we can solve a debt crisis with more debt?
-jcr
Oh, come on, he was talking about information OVERload. That is well known as a distraction.
Get off the political crap.
@roguedog
“In a dictatorial government it is essential that there be a single source of information. A single voice espoused from a single, overaching and unchallenged authority. That source is the Democratic party, and it’s voice is Chairman Obama.”
I think you mean the Republican party and Chairman Bush!
Obama said just the opposite of your post in his speech.
Clearly the point he is trying to make is while there is a lot of content, not all of it is GOOD content. And while we consume massive amounts of content, without regard to it’s quality, we all suffer.
It is not limited to iPads, and iPods, but all forms of communication.
@PR
“AppleInsider.com
All the news
None of the bullshit politics”
Also MacRumors,TUAW, MacNN and Roughly Drafted to name a few.
It is refreshing to read these other sites w/o the political bullshit.
MDN has chosen to be a right wing site that also blogs about Apple.
Ad blocking on MDN commencing…. now.
The world is a different place with the Internet and mobile Internet devices. Trust is the core of communication and it’s been lost in the modern era (just look at tech coverage of apple products). No one wants to pay for news anymore, except advertisers.
To say Obama is a dictator for simply recognizing this as a challenge for democracy is irresponsible. I can’t figure out why people get so upset when someone thinks out loud about a concept like modern media. Lots of people on this site need to grow up and talk about the concept instead of condemning someone for talking about something that takes some thought.
Or just regurgitate some Glenn Beck or Limbaugh.
What Obama was saying is TMI. When you have talking heads, journalists, bloggers and tweeters feeding you constant sound bites 24-7, that to be an informed citizen, take the time to determine the true facts and not just assume the sound bites are true.
In times past most respectable journalists tried to get the facts correct before reporting. Even if the slant was different the facts were more likely to be in substantial agreement.
Unfortunately today anyone can blog, post a video tweet or just be an asshole and spew an absurd take on few if any facts.
Obama was essentially saying, not only, consider the source but also take the time to understand the true facts.
For the record, Macrelated, RDM’s writing doesn’t hide political affinities, often illustrating reflecting a political left standpoint.
“none of which I know how to work”
Which destroys your argument. Perhaps one should learn what they are talking about before looking foolish for all to see and hear.
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@Tim Flint
He didn’t attack Apple. Stop pulling information out of your ass.
@John Gee
“For the record, Macrelated, RDM’s writing doesn’t hide political affinities, often illustrating reflecting a political left standpoint.”
Who is RDM?
“often illustrating reflecting a political left standpoint.”
What are you referring to here. Where is the political left standpoint?
Where did I claim that anyone hid political affinities?
“…a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank all that high on the truth meter.'”
Arguments are generally matters of differences of opinions, which seldom have anything to do with truth… just opinions.
Why does Obama always sound like his stuff is written by Clinton’s old writers?
This smacks a little bit of the basic conceptual nature behind the old adage ” A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
Wow, the Internet is now a threat to democracy.
These libs really have it all the way up their ass.
@Ubermac
“Wow, the Internet is now a threat to democracy.
These libs really have it all the way up their ass.”
You are skilled at not understanding what was said.
Again a perfect example of what Obama talked about.
Grab a word or phrase, twist or misunderstand then spew!
Just like Fox news!
I was at the Minnesota Twins win over the Orioles at Target Field this afternoon. Twins won the game 6-0. I went with my wife and two children and we shared a wonderful Mother’s Day together. Go to a game at Target Field in Minneapolis, it’s a very impressive shrine to baseball.
Yeah, them iPods and iPad are really scary out there.
What have these times come to, people informing themselves, building their own opinions.
Help, it used to be so easy to keep all the peasant “informed” with all the left wing media on our side.
As usual when media and communnication is not helping his presidency then the “book burning is in order” ( the old way to communicate) remember Germany in the 30’s.
@ubermac
Misinformation is a threat to democracy.
This isn’t any different than limbaugh talking about a “drive-by” media.
I am a publisher myself (small town weekly) and am completely against censorship. My hope is that one day there will be a national audience willing to pay for truly balanced news, and maybe this will be born of out of the current blog era. As it stands right now, were in a dark ages of mass media because of the business models (you’ve got to have a healthy balance of paid subscribers to ad dollars and right now that’s in major decline).
All politicians and future leaders would be wise to make this a subject they devote time to.
Look don’t blame poor Obama for this snafu.
It was his declared Marxist advisers that he appointed, that made him say these silly thing.
So lay off!
I think this is a clear case of Crackberry addict apology. Same affliction that plague Windows IT shops. It’s hard to see the truth out there and greater possibilities when the first thing you do everyday is to refuse to believe is that you are using subpar technology.
His COMMiENTS make think of the ol’ adage about cutting off your nose in spite of your face.
So the logic here is the that in order to form a good opinion, only a limited amount of information should be given.
Too much information will confuse just the stupid peasant.
Right?