20% of young americans say the Holocaust is a myth, another 30% "unsure"

[Karl 3,575]

It's 100% the internet, I had a gen Z olleague who when he was in school denied the Holocaust in front of his history teacher. When he was a bit older he realised he'd been brainwashed by YouTube and now regrets everything. 

[SlowLoris 1,203]

**** TikTok, **** YouTube shorts, **** all of that.  

I hated as a teen when boomers told me "it'll turn your brain to mush", but what teens have access to nowadays is utter garbage, neonazi propaganda.

[PartySick 172,529]

13 hours ago, Dennis said:

I agree and X isn't better. I remember watching a Netflix show many years ago and it warned about how social media algorithms are a big problem in the way they reinforce echo chambers and give people more of what they like to see. It's all becoming a reality now. 
 

Truly unprecedented times.

Can't wait to see how it all shakes out

[Enigma 7,182]

19 hours ago, Dennis said:

"Social media might play a role. According to a 2022 survey from the Pew Research Centre, Americans under 30 are about as likely to trust information on social media as they are to trust national news organisations. More recently Pew found that 32% of those aged 18-29 get their news from TikTok."

This is hard to analyze because Tik Tok is so specifically catered to each person through algorithms. For a good chunk of these people that’s a negative cause they’re being fed misinformation, but for others it’s great cause there is amazing political content on there that I’d trust way more than anything the US gov puts out

[Enigma 7,182]

19 hours ago, SharkmanthaC said:

We have a filter on for when certain words are used it requires approval.  

Including P***tine it seems so maybe check that… 

[Didymus 34,380]

8 minutes ago, Enigma said:

This is hard to analyze because Tik Tok is so specifically catered to each person through algorithms. For a good chunk of these people that’s a negative cause they’re being fed misinformation, but for others it’s great cause there is amazing political content on there that I’d trust way more than anything the US gov puts out

Precisely. What needs to be addressed is the incredibly poor critical thinking/fact and source checking skills of people nowadays, not these apps as a whole.

It is kind of shocking that with today's unprecedented access to quality information, people can still watch one video and just believe it because it looks convincing. A simple Wikipedia search after seeing a surprising TikTok can do wonders but most people don't seem to bother doing even that...

[PartySick 172,529]

1 minute ago, Didymus said:

Precisely. What needs to be addressed is the incredibly poor critical thinking/fact and source checking skills of people nowadays, not these apps as a whole.

I was gonna say this too.

People bring up the educational system and it's actually on point 'cause far too often, school is about learning what to think and how to remember facts.

They don't teach you critical thinking skills, most people have to stumble onto those via life experience 

[Enigma 7,182]

3 minutes ago, Didymus said:

Precisely. What needs to be addressed is the incredibly poor critical thinking/fact and source checking skills of people nowadays, not these apps as a whole.

It is kind of shocking that with today's unprecedented access to quality information, people can still watch one video and just believe it because it looks convincing. A simple Wikipedia search after seeing a surprising TikTok can do wonders but most people don't seem to bother doing even that...

I’m Canadian and in our secondary school we had a lot of emphasis on critical thinking skills, choosing sources, etc… but it was only because I was in the IB program which is basically public school enriched. I think that’s weird and should be part of the regular curriculum. We don’t have downright crazy people as much but the average person here is not that well informed.

Also I get that schools have to be neutral politically, and in the US it would be downright impossible to implement that, but here I think we need some sort of political education starting young. The average person doesn’t care about politics and that’s so dangerous. Or like… normalize not voting if you can’t bother learning the basics. I don’t know. But it sucks being ruled by governments elected by people who are absolutely clueless about any of this because there’s more of them. 

At the same time, I’m trying to think of what could be taught and I’m struggling. Mostly because due to “neutrality”, the right would have to be depicted through constant euphemisms as if they’re a valid sane option when they’re just not. What’s the right balance of being factual and neutral? Cause it’s extremely hard to be both when talking about the right. And you also have the issue of choosing media sources, and you know any option would be received badly. I guess that’s why those courses don’t exist. But they’re so needed. 

[Economy 52,845]

Im actually surprised. I wouldnt have thought the rate would be that high

[Economy 52,845]

On 12/9/2023 at 4:22 PM, Enigma said:

This is hard to analyze because Tik Tok is so specifically catered to each person through algorithms. For a good chunk of these people that’s a negative cause they’re being fed misinformation, but for others it’s great cause there is amazing political content on there that I’d trust way more than anything the US gov puts out

Internet algorithims to me has become a plague and part of the reason politics has become as agressive and polorized as its gotten and why ppl cant have an educated civilized conversation anymore...

 

These algorithms are designed to only feed information u already agree with and further emphasizes in ur mind that u are right no matter what, or it occasionally feeds u the exact opposite of what u believe so u can have a heated argument in the comments section

 

The internet algoriths on tik tok, youtube etc is not so condusive to critical thinking or trying to look at a full picture and debate it in an educated way. Its designed to literally pit ppl together against eachother

 

Opposing political sides have always had their disagreements but it was never THIS bad before internet and even worse after algorithns started to choose ur content to feed you.

 

Nor was rediculous misinformation like "vaccines are a conspiracy to implant micro chips"

[Squidward T 2,470]

It’s absolutely terrifying the amount of antisemitism is rising in the US and around the world. History is bound to repeat itself if we don’t correct it. 

[Dennis 8,391]

13 minutes ago, Squidward T said:

It’s absolutely terrifying the amount of antisemitism is rising in the US and around the world. History is bound to repeat itself if we don’t correct it. 

Just as we speak, Alex Jones, a dangerous vile antisemite (among other things) just got reinstated on X.

And then we wonder why many people are becoming antisemitic. People become what they consume on social media these days. TikTok, X all contribute to this problem.