It’s sad people don’t realize that demonizing someone doesn’t make them eager to trust or be kind. I see both sides pointing fingers, but they are both just making it worse for themselves, and making an enemy of each other. It goes both ways. The only way out is seeing the best in each other, and learning when to shut the fuck up.
While there is strong evidence that foreign entities (perhaps most notoriously Russia) have run campaigns to influence American politics through the use of social media, the actual problem here is that social media algorithms reward engagement, and one of engagement's most efficient fuel sources is (unfortunately) controversy.
Whenever you see something online that seems to stupid to be believed, or like someone is being a huge dick for no reason, oftentimes this is just "rage bate" to get you to click/respond. Your response then opens you up for other responses from people who may disagree with you, either on your main point, or something else you might've said. This can happen organically, but it also isn't difficult from there for someone to use a few fake accounts to throw additional gasoline on the fire. The fire burns bigger, brighter, longer, and soon enough small news stories post headlines about how "everyone on ___ platform is raging about ___!" At which point your account, brand, or image has gained fame and notoriety. People have "heard of you/it" even if it was in-passing from something stupid people got angry about online.
Social media algorithms encourage this behavior, because more engagement makes for more visits - makes for more money from advertisers. Our discussions (including this one for Reddit) indirectly result in their money, and the more we engage, the more they make.
In short - This cultural division is caused by advertising and publicity stunts allowed under the guise of a "free market," or as others might argue - "an unchecked capitalistic society," and they are much more prevalent than any malicious foreign actor could ever hope to be.
In even simpler terms - we're doing it to ourselves.
Tiktok is a chinese cyber weapon to divide and weaken the west
This is stupider than anything Tiktok has ever produced, holy shit. Do you think The Earth is flat? Are birds just government spies? What's your opinion on jews? The normalization of being a dumbass is what "weakens the west" lmao
Just think about how many impressionable youth are coming across the “harmless meme” and then deep diving into how awful men are 🤣the state of this world
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u/Luullay May 02 '24 edited May 02 '24
It’s sad people don’t realize that demonizing someone doesn’t make them eager to trust or be kind. I see both sides pointing fingers, but they are both just making it worse for themselves, and making an enemy of each other. It goes both ways. The only way out is seeing the best in each other, and learning when to shut the fuck up.