4 ms·

I assure you, people over 65 are not getting their views warped by anything, only reinforced.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
jacobolus 7y ago
Plenty of people in the 70–90 years old range have been radicalized to a shocking degree in the past few decades after a steady media diet of right-wing radio and TV, which for many has crowded out more traditional news media. I know folks who used to believe in helping refugees, standing up for human rights, guaranteeing every citizen the right to vote, crafting policy under guidance of experts, holding politicians and businesses accountable for corruption and fraud, supporting science, etc., but now spout unhinged conspiracy theories about e.g. civil servants and climate scientists, stand up for murderous autocrats, and echo very strange racist ideas about social relations. It’s very difficult to listen to a steady drumbeat of fear and hate for years and years and not come out with a warped worldview. Especially when a broader community of these old people’s friends are all consuming the same propaganda.
- NegativeLatency 7y ago
  It’s like you’ve met my grandparents.
- mycoborea 7y ago
  I see the other side in my family. They subject themselves to a nonstop firehose of seething Trump outrage and Russiagate. They hate the president but are obsessed with hating him. I’m no fan of him either but this doesn’t seem healthy. A two minutes hate that lasts 24/7. It’s all a heinous mess. Just an endless stream of low-quality trash that addicts people of all stripes.
  - mixmastamyk 7y ago
    There's a dedicated contingent of folks hyper-critical of every president, it's exhausting. Even Trump does something right once in a while, in the broken-clock sense.
- malvosenior 7y ago
  Maybe their lives haven't developed how they wanted them too and thus are less optimistic in general and looking for scapegoats (or causes) to their unhappiness.
- alexashka 7y ago
  Do you honestly believe folks who begin to echo racist ideas about social relations did not have racist thoughts prior, but were 'introduced' to them via mass media? I understand that many people want to believe their elders are good, rational, intelligent people, and it's that damn media diet. I'm sorry - it's not McDonalds that makes people obese, it's people willing to become obese that continue going to McDonalds.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Plenty of people in the 70–90 years old range have been radicalized to a shocking degree in the past few decades after a steady media diet of right-wing radio and TV, which for many has crowded out more traditional news media. I know folks who used to believe in helping refugees, standing up for human rights, guaranteeing every citizen the right to vote, crafting policy under guidance of experts, holding politicians and businesses accountable for corruption and fraud, supporting science, etc., but now spout unhinged conspiracy theories about e.g. civil servants and climate scientists, stand up for murderous autocrats, and echo very strange racist ideas about social relations. It’s very difficult to listen to a steady drumbeat of fear and hate for years and years and not come out with a warped worldview. Especially when a broader community of these old people’s friends are all consuming the same propaganda.

NegativeLatency 7y ago
It’s like you’ve met my grandparents.
mycoborea 7y ago
I see the other side in my family. They subject themselves to a nonstop firehose of seething Trump outrage and Russiagate. They hate the president but are obsessed with hating him. I’m no fan of him either but this doesn’t seem healthy. A two minutes hate that lasts 24/7. It’s all a heinous mess. Just an endless stream of low-quality trash that addicts people of all stripes.
- mixmastamyk 7y ago
  There's a dedicated contingent of folks hyper-critical of every president, it's exhausting. Even Trump does something right once in a while, in the broken-clock sense.
malvosenior 7y ago
Maybe their lives haven't developed how they wanted them too and thus are less optimistic in general and looking for scapegoats (or causes) to their unhappiness.
alexashka 7y ago
Do you honestly believe folks who begin to echo racist ideas about social relations did not have racist thoughts prior, but were 'introduced' to them via mass media? I understand that many people want to believe their elders are good, rational, intelligent people, and it's that damn media diet. I'm sorry - it's not McDonalds that makes people obese, it's people willing to become obese that continue going to McDonalds.