A ‘story’ covered by several outlets today about a ballerina and a government skills campaign is the latest evidence of how Twitter is making us all more stupid and should generally be ignored.
The ‘story’ in short summary: a government campaign to encourage people to consider training to develop skills in ‘cyber’ is using images of people doing jobs, including dancing, to suggest that people who are today doing one thing for a living might one day do something else. (For more on the full range of jobs depicted, see this bit of proper journalism from a BBC reporter.)
The ad that’s picked up some attention online shows ‘Fatima’ a ballerina, with the caption: ‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet).’
This, apparently, is outrageous, a Philistine attack on the arts and all those who work in them.For a summary of the ‘outrage’ sparked by the ad, you could read this Guardian piece or similar bits of copy in a dozen other places.
If I have a criticism of the ‘rethink, reskill, reboot’ campaign it is that it’s come so late
That coverage, of some things some people said on Twitter for a few hours this morning, is the first reason to be depressed by this saga.
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