6 ms·

>The current situation in the US is challenging. Misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories are rampant in every cohort of society. Most of the hi

by ve55 6y ago

>The current situation in the US is challenging. Misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories are rampant in every cohort of society. Most of the higher-quality longitudinal evidence I've seen does not show that there is an increase in believing in conspiracy theories or misinformation (or, as we used to call it, people simply being incorrect). It's simply much more visible now due to the Internet being widely adopted, whereas in the past you'd never know what people across the world (or even your own city) may have been thinking about. Since there is no stable nor global solution to the problem of deciding who gets to label/regulate information, nor any evidence showing that even with the regulation of information, people actually change their beliefs to the 'correct' ones, I don't personally see merit in this path. The temptation to find a solution is sensible prima facie, but history and human psychology show us that this is a fool's errand.

rimiform 6y ago
> Most of the higher-quality longitudinal evidence I've seen does not show that there is an increase in believing in conspiracy theories or misinformation (or, as we used to call it, people simply being incorrect). Do you have a source for that? Not trying to dispute your claim, just curious.
- snapcore 6y ago
  When I googled I found these claims: "There are no major comprehensive, longitudinal studies on Americans’ attitudes toward conspiracy theories, mostly because it was not rigorously measured until about 10 to 20 years ago." "...reviewed over 120 years of letters to the editor, from 1890 to 2010, for both The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. In over 100,000 letters, this review showed absolutely no change in the amount of conspiracy theory belief over time. In fact, the percent of letters about conspiracy theories actually declined from the late 1800s to the 1960s and has remained steady since then." They cite: American Conspiracy Theories - Joseph Uscinski & Joseph Parent. Quotes from here: https://theconversation.com/are-conspiracy-theories-on-the-rise-in-the-us-121968 https://theconversation.com/are-conspiracy-theories-on-the-r...
Krasnol 6y ago
Well I'd say that the shameless crowds marching to bullshit conspiracies on the streets as well as the support for their head figure who also was spreading shameless bullshit is a quite visible evidence outside the internet.
wool_gather 6y ago
It seems to me that higher visibility is all but guaranteed to lead to an increase in belief. Simple exposure is one thing: most people aren't going to concoct new conspiracy theories on their own, but they may decide to go in for them when they see them. Social persuasion/cohesion is another: we're all influenced by the views of the people around us (like it or not). When you see half a dozen people in one of your peer groups talking about $WEIRD_THING, you're naturally inclined to give it some time, and maybe some credence. I don't disagree about the deep problems with regulating it, though.
trianglem 6y ago
You’re going to have to back that up with some evidence, especially considering the specious claims you’ve been making over the last few weeks during the capitol terror attack etc.
s5300 6y ago
Definitely not just the internet. I have things like this showing up in my mailbox unsolicited. People believe what it says because it's coming from a group they're familiar with. I'd say there should probably be real legal action taken against things like this... http://prntscr.com/wweheo http://prntscr.com/wweheo http://prntscr.com/wwexix http://prntscr.com/wwexix http://prntscr.com/wwf2eg http://prntscr.com/wwf2eg
- ahepp 6y ago
  What about those do you think should be illegal?
  - s5300 6y ago
    We can only have outright lies being peddled when readily available deadly weapons are involved for so long. Whether or not you care about the consequences, I don't know.
    - MacsHeadroom 6y ago
      Caring about the consequences and thinking something should be outlawed are entirely different things. Getting the legal system involved is not a good solution.

by ve55 6y ago

rimiform 6y ago

> Most of the higher-quality longitudinal evidence I've seen does not show that there is an increase in believing in conspiracy theories or misinformation (or, as we used to call it, people simply being incorrect). Do you have a source for that? Not trying to dispute your claim, just curious.

snapcore 6y ago
When I googled I found these claims: "There are no major comprehensive, longitudinal studies on Americans’ attitudes toward conspiracy theories, mostly because it was not rigorously measured until about 10 to 20 years ago." "...reviewed over 120 years of letters to the editor, from 1890 to 2010, for both The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. In over 100,000 letters, this review showed absolutely no change in the amount of conspiracy theory belief over time. In fact, the percent of letters about conspiracy theories actually declined from the late 1800s to the 1960s and has remained steady since then." They cite: American Conspiracy Theories - Joseph Uscinski & Joseph Parent. Quotes from here: https://theconversation.com/are-conspiracy-theories-on-the-rise-in-the-us-121968 https://theconversation.com/are-conspiracy-theories-on-the-r...

Krasnol 6y ago

Well I'd say that the shameless crowds marching to bullshit conspiracies on the streets as well as the support for their head figure who also was spreading shameless bullshit is a quite visible evidence outside the internet.

wool_gather 6y ago

It seems to me that higher visibility is all but guaranteed to lead to an increase in belief. Simple exposure is one thing: most people aren't going to concoct new conspiracy theories on their own, but they may decide to go in for them when they see them. Social persuasion/cohesion is another: we're all influenced by the views of the people around us (like it or not). When you see half a dozen people in one of your peer groups talking about $WEIRD_THING, you're naturally inclined to give it some time, and maybe some credence. I don't disagree about the deep problems with regulating it, though.

trianglem 6y ago

You’re going to have to back that up with some evidence, especially considering the specious claims you’ve been making over the last few weeks during the capitol terror attack etc.

s5300 6y ago

Definitely not just the internet. I have things like this showing up in my mailbox unsolicited. People believe what it says because it's coming from a group they're familiar with. I'd say there should probably be real legal action taken against things like this... http://prntscr.com/wweheo http://prntscr.com/wweheo http://prntscr.com/wwexix http://prntscr.com/wwexix http://prntscr.com/wwf2eg http://prntscr.com/wwf2eg

ahepp 6y ago
What about those do you think should be illegal?
- s5300 6y ago
  We can only have outright lies being peddled when readily available deadly weapons are involved for so long. Whether or not you care about the consequences, I don't know.
  - MacsHeadroom 6y ago
    Caring about the consequences and thinking something should be outlawed are entirely different things. Getting the legal system involved is not a good solution.