Takeover

[Birdman1811]

This is absolutely the case. The amplification of a single person's views via social media to often uncritical readers has created a world most appropriately described as 'post-truth'. It's the world exploited relentlessly by unscrupulous politicians and propagandists.

Quite simply, social media has created as many problems as it has solutions.

There are simply many people who do not deserve a voice on social media, who people in days of old could ignore. Equally there are those who were ignored that deserved their voice to be heard.

It is great and has advanced causes, but equally has also become a fantastic vehicle for misinformation and division by those with an agenda.

The amount of 'critical thinkers' who are totally unable to think critically is astounding.

All this.

Social media is toxic as fuck, but also can be used for good and to support people. It's the quintessential double edge sword, and I don't see how you'd solve the problems without limiting the benefits.

There's a lot of people who seem to draw their sense of self worth through their online personas and the need for attention to be seen as some kind of expert in matters they really know little about. You see it both on a micro level on this dump and and macro level on the big social media platforms. 

People want other people to think they know stuff and ask them to share their knowledge as it fluffs their egos and gives them a sense of self worth. It takes different forms, such as people who speculate wildly but try to present themselves as knowledgeable to those who flat out make shit up. You can invent as much nonsense as you want as long as you're right once (that's what Ziz was always striving for).

Same with weirdos doing podcasts who think it instantly makes them an expert.