After watching the people around me who are most susceptible, it seems like the common thread is resentment, that "I could never speak about my woo before but now people on youtube are normalising it so you will listen to me".
There are a lot of people who will get their information and worldview from just one youtube pseudo expert. They literally will not watch or consider anyone else.
People from some countries have not been exposed to social media to the same extent maybe, the societies aren't as atomised.
It's fucked. I've talked people down from antivax, (you accept the polio vaccine, right?) and two videos later they are right back on the bandwagon.
imo this stuff has always been in society but online has turbo charged it in western societies, particulary in the 2010s.
I will have hour-long struggle sessions with my dad about liberal politics. He will end by agreeing with me about everything. A week later, we’re back where we started.
I had some success talking about vaccination in Cuba and also the history of inoculation going back to China with one anti-vaxxer I know. He was back to his normal anti-vaxx-ness within days. Convincing these people just isn’t enough. Their entire lives have to change in order for their ideas to change.
This misinformation is reinforced every day by the media they consume, or worse, by people they trust at work that evangelize this propaganda. So even people that don't use social media can get sucked into it.
I have only had success with those family members by 1) telling them that Bill Gates is bad, but not for the reasons you think (likewise with other topics) or 2) if your coworker is so smart why do they work at the same job as you?
I have only had success with those family members by 1) telling them that Bill Gates is bad, but not for the reasons you think (likewise with other topics) or 2) if your coworker is so smart why do they work at the same job as you?
Yeah, I've had some success with exactly this type of thing.
After watching the people around me who are most susceptible, it seems like the common thread is resentment, that "I could never speak about my woo before but now people on youtube are normalising it so you will listen to me".
There are a lot of people who will get their information and worldview from just one youtube pseudo expert. They literally will not watch or consider anyone else.
People from some countries have not been exposed to social media to the same extent maybe, the societies aren't as atomised.
It's fucked. I've talked people down from antivax, (you accept the polio vaccine, right?) and two videos later they are right back on the bandwagon.
imo this stuff has always been in society but online has turbo charged it in western societies, particulary in the 2010s.
I will have hour-long struggle sessions with my dad about liberal politics. He will end by agreeing with me about everything. A week later, we’re back where we started.
I had some success talking about vaccination in Cuba and also the history of inoculation going back to China with one anti-vaxxer I know. He was back to his normal anti-vaxx-ness within days. Convincing these people just isn’t enough. Their entire lives have to change in order for their ideas to change.
This misinformation is reinforced every day by the media they consume, or worse, by people they trust at work that evangelize this propaganda. So even people that don't use social media can get sucked into it.
I have only had success with those family members by 1) telling them that Bill Gates is bad, but not for the reasons you think (likewise with other topics) or 2) if your coworker is so smart why do they work at the same job as you?
Yeah, I've had some success with exactly this type of thing.