this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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All the big platforms are owned by US techno-fascists. They are working as intended. Why the fuck do people use them. I don't know. People are stupid.
Its a mistake to think Putin divided the US. Russia does run big misinformation campaigns. But they had plenty of help from willing allies.
People aren't stupid, you are just in a bubble that knows a lot about how social media services work while the friend of mine that works as a carpenter has a few icons on his phone where, when he presses them, he sees messages and funny things from his friends and family and some funny videos that may or may not be russian propaganda.
The masses are mostly medium to low information people and none the wiser, especially regarding tech. To them, the phone in their hand is not a computer, but a shiny toy that lets them look at pictures and videos that distracts them from their screaming kids or mundane job. Your average person doesn't really think past their own hand, they just kinda "do" without considering the wider implications of their actions.
There's an old adage from I want to say George Carlin (and I'm paraphrasing heavily here), "Think about how dumb the average person is. Remember that 100 is the median IQ, median being middle of the road. Now realize that half of all people are even dumber than that." Obviously IQ is quite antiquated, but it summarizes the point pretty well.
This is true. Its all magic to most people and they don't think much deeper.
When I say people are stupid I don't mean it in some elitist IQ sense like I am smarter because I am not. I mean we are all flawed creatures who are generally exploitable.
It takes discipline and awareness of manipulation to take corrective action. This platform probably isn't healthy to be on for large amounts of time either. We need real human relationships as well.
rupert murdoch discovered this formula in the 70s. you are right; we have to give people the tools to cultivate, curate and control their own media so that people can create, share and consume the information they really want and need, rather than be abused, baited an traumatized by addictive trash
Yes that's what I'm talking about, the question is: Why are we allowing this?