COVER STORY: CHAOS

The definition of chaos is “complete disorder and confusion.” The term can be applied to both inaccurate propaganda and a tottering workforce in stories that are false: the story itself is fabricated, with no verifiable facts, sources or quotes.” When stories are written without displacing all of the facts or contextualways such as how these subjects impact the population and how one manages to sift through their disorganization. Wrong, misleading information can be designated the root of a lot of the chaos that society faces. When people don’t know what is real and what is fake, confusion settles in and there becomes no “real” anymore; the line between true and false becomes blurred and is repeatedly crossed over. Misinformation is being wrong on accident while disinformation is being “I have said that propaganda, misinwrong on purpose; both formation, and disinformation have can have chaotic effects in always been part of political warfare. many different spheres Social media and other new platforms of life. Both have spread have given it a new life and reach throughout our society, through which the fake news phenommutating every time a enon can reach everywhere.” new conduit to share this -Bilawal Bhutto Zardari information emerges. And each time it comes back stronger; with the capacity to reach more people and potentially do more harm. Sorting through the differences between fraud and reliability is the tricky task that society has been assigned. The phrase “fake news” has been highly politicized in today’s world, so much so that its true meaning was lost along the way. The more people use this phrase to describe things that in actuality are not fake news or exaggerate its use, the more its intended purpose is hindered. The University of Michigan defines fake news as “news izing the event, it leads the reader to believe the wrong information and spread it along on different platforms and even through conversation. Chaos and confusion can quickly ensue when no one knows the truth because both sides believe that they are correct. This can lead to a rift in society and a distrust in forms of media. False advertising and deceiving consumers, a frequent form of disinformation and misinformation, have become mainstream. Cases like Subway falsely advertising their foot-long subs to be 12 inches and Rice Krispies incorrectly claiming their cereal could boost people’s immune systems are far more common than most people may believe. Companies focus on making a profit and often lose their value of product integrity. What might seem like a simple economic shortcut can lead to mass confusion as many consumers spend money on products that do not actually achieve or fulfill their intended purpose. Oftentimes these misleadings are more significant in their effects. An example would be when back in 2014, Snapchat falsely claimed that pictures and videos sent would automatically disappear and not be accessible after they had been sent.

They were investigated by the Federal Trade Commission and they found that “because the service’s deletion feature only functions in the official Snapchat app, recipients can use these widely available third-party apps to view and save snaps indefinitely.” They also lied about users being able to get notified when someone took a screenshot of a snap. Furthermore the FTC found Snapchat “deceived consumers over the amount of personal data it collected and the security measures taken to protect that data from misuse and unauthorized “The degrading kind of journalism disclosure.” Snapchat had is known as yellow journalism. It is claimed that it would protect a journalism without soul. Facts are its users’ information and by distorted or exaggerated. There is doing so falsely advertised very little truth in the stories.” their product and misin-Vir Bala Aggarwal formed consumers. This created chaos as users of the app became worried about where their information was ending up because there were many loopholes that people could use to save pictures and videos of people. Snapchat had promised privacy to its users and deceived them. Many forms of faulty news have been used throughout history, yellow journalism being one of them. Yellow journalism is a type of reporting that substitutes sensationalism for facts. In the late 1800’s two journalists, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, had been using this strategy of yellow journalism for some time, and by using it had created a very polarized political climate. In 1898, a U.S. ship off the coast of Cuba sank and Hearst and Pulitzer published rumors that Spain was responsible. Because everyone believed these exaggerated claims that these journalists had been publishing, it wasn’t long before these rumors had a hold on readers . People were outraged about these claims and urged President McKinley to take action. Britannica states how “the U.S. public, prompted by the New York Journal and other sensational papers in the grips of yellow journalism, held Spain unquestionably responsible.” Because of the heightened public support, the country did end up engaging in war with Spain, and this led to the chaos of putting a country through warfare. Historically, fake news has been the root to numerous variations of chaos. The future, however, may be subject to the chaos of reality. Gen Z has publicized their inability to harbor a dream job because of the undesir-

able qualities of labor and the overall workforce. The actuality of this situation is that as a result of the pandemic, many who take part in the workforce have experienced burnout and discontent with their current professions. The anti-labor viewpoint has gained popularity through social media platforms such as TikTok, which has further influenced the younger generation. Additionally, Gen Z expects employers to acknowledge the balance between work and life. Business Insider recently released data demonstrating Gen Z’s likelihood to change occupations, proving the young workforce’s instability. At this rate, the protest against these employers may result in more chaos than intended. While the younger generation has benefited from technology and used it as an outlet to argue against labor, those of an older generation may have their doubts on the subject. While there are those that are willing to adapt to change and modernize accordingly, some insist on the old ways of communication, work, schooling etc. The chaos of these contradicting ideals have proven prominency because of the newly technology-dependent environment. An example of this is the “QR code menu.” The QR code menu had its upstart during the rise of the pandemic, but has maintained its position long after the pandemic’s origin. Many dining facilities still provide physical copies of menus in addition to the QR code, but the sole existence of the digital menu can cause a feeling of disconnection to those who aren’t in possession of a cellular device. This also applies to the current labor market. According to encyclopedia.com, “When older people are excluded from the industrial labor market, they become dependent on the young, losing social status.” The modernization theory, formalized by Donald Cowgill and Lowell Holmes in 1972, claims that this disclusion can actually decrease the reputation of the older generation once retired; “loss of income, prestige and honor arising from labor market participation lead to a decline in the status of older people.” Considering the chaotic nature of inaccurate news and the social hierarchy of the labor force, it may seem as though disarray is unavoidable. However, understanding these points and how they contribute to confusion, opens the door to growth as a civilization. Just like the eye of a hurricane, knowledge serves as the calm amidst the storm of chaos.