Social media providing a means for conspiracy theorists to link up and spread false info
By Lethbridge Herald on March 12, 2022.
Brian Hancock – Lethbridge Herald publisher
Andrew Coyne, a Canadian columnist with The Globe and Mail posted this on Twitter and it’s really helped me understand how the world is the way it is right now:
“Fear of facts. Rage against reality. That a thing is reported often, and widely, by many disparate sources, is taken not as evidence of its likelihood, but proof of a conspiracy, solely because it conflicts with what he wants to believe, or wants his followers to believe.”
The world we live in has become so twisted that “proof of something” is being sold to us as “proof” that it didn’t, or isn’t, really happening. How? Social media, that’s how.
It used to be that the conspiracy thinkers were loners, they had no circle of “like thinkers” to empower themselves and their opinions alienated them from the vast majority of society so they quietly went about their way, suspicious of everything but unable to prove anything (or get any support) so they didn’t voice their theories for fear of being ostracized. Then came social media.
If enough people had the same wrong opinion before they were just wrong, now they connect to other people with the same misled conspiracy theories and feel there must be some truth to their ideas.
Social media has allowed lonely conspiracy theorists to link to other lonely conspiracy theorists. It’s empowered them to think their opinions are facts, and that’s where it’s become dangerous.
Go to your local pub and have a beer: if 10 people see you having a beer social media makes it look like you had 10 beers. You’ve only had one but it’s multiplied by the shares. That’s the same thing that’s happening with the questioning of truth – one person asking an absurd question or making an absurd accusation is shared by thousands of people. If thousands of people see it then it must be true, right? The leap from fact to multiple shares of false information becoming fact is rampant; it’s reached a point where I’m not sure if people can tell the difference anymore.
Even fact checks are questioned as not being factual. I’m not sure anyone cares about the truth any more. It may interfere with what they want to believe so they just choose to label it as a way of validating their opinions. “You’re a lefty,” ”you’re a righty,” “fake news,” “mainstream media,” as long as they can label the source then they feel they can dismiss the facts they can’t explain.
Beware of where you’re getting your information, check sources and you’ll find many fake “experts” who are offering opinions and disguising them as facts. King Abdulmameh from Congo doesn’t really have $10 million to deposit in your bank account either. Sorry if you’re waiting for the money, the fact is it’s not coming.
11-10
“CBC retracted another news story regarding convoy.”Toronto Sun, March 11.
The real story was on social media,but CBC broadcasted its own version based on propaganda and suiting a narrative. This was from “Canada’s most trusted news source”. Seems they can’t live up to their monicker.The politicians who sign the cheques dictate their style of news.Fear of facts is real for the politicians.
I always enjoy your posts Brian. You hit the nail on the head, there are some people who chose to ignore facts in favour of rumour. I think in many cases these people are simply lazy or not able to process the facts. It’s easier to deny everything, and thereby allow yourself to do nothing. Climate change would be a classic example, just ignore the facts and do nothing. I wonder what it will take for society to take responsibility for it’s actions?
Good editorial and so relevant for local media such as the Herald. I agree with Peter Mansbridge in the piece in your paper where he is talking about this massive problem of disinformation and the importance of maintaining or restoring endangered local media as one of the bastions of trust. So much has been eroding that foundation, starting with the loss of advertising revenue. So many conservatives seem to think that the Liberals, in trying to address that, have literally “bought” the media! Obviously more of a right wing tactic, but they always assume everyone is as purely opportunistic, greedy and self-interested as them, AND as devious about it. The paranoia and ill-will of these algorithm-manipulated people who don’t even recognize it seems to know no bounds.
Here’s a big-picture explanation of what preceded the algorithms even— “neoliberalism.”
https://evonomics.com/how-to-disguise-racism-and-oligarchy-use-the-language-of-economics/
thank you for a great read. i am not sure how you and others would approach this – and it is not just an american thing, it is playing out globally. i keep pounding the drum that the least we can do toward saying enough is enough is to stop buying into the charade that has become our elections. yes, hit the polls, but ruin the ballot: tell these posers of democracy and robber barons that we no longer will legitimise the scam. if that does not work, and likely will not, we will then need to be more active in what is come next.
and what of the increasing, and significant, misinformation arsing from govts? moreover, that is not some new phenomenon. indeed, it has sprung the fertile ground upon which misinformation now has been able to mushroom. lies and propaganda have existed aplenty. the cynicism and distrust and is glaring, and we have a pathetic excuse for leadership – from all “parties” – to thank. the sowing of confusion, mind you, is a part of the game that is meant to keep the masses under control. rather than dismiss this as “conspiracy”, not only examine where we are at presently, but further, do read a little history. anyone that still believes in benevolent giant corp, and benevolent political “leadership” is exactly what p.t barnum was on about (save for the late, great, tommy douglas).