4 ms·
The article doesn't go into this in too much depth, but one of the main reasons many of these people are antivax is because it has given them a level of fame (a
by p49k 5y ago
The article doesn't go into this in too much depth, but one of the main reasons many of these people are antivax is because it has given them a level of fame (and a source of revenue) that they've never achieved with anything else in their lifetime. With RFK Jr, he gets so much more attention/followers/likes/money from antivax activism than he ever received as a legitimate environmental activist/lawyer, and he seems to have clearly taken the path of doing what gives him the most validation.
I seriously doubt reasoning with any of these people is going to cause them to change their mind. It's about validation/ego and money.
- howaboutnope 5y agoThe proper way to find out is to try, not to speculate or even assume it's impossible, which is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- p49k 5y agoPeople are and have been actively trying to engage with these people for years now.
- howaboutnope 5y ago"these people"? "years"? Do it or don't, but don't try to dissuade other people from doing it is all I'm asking. Is that too much to ask?
- krapp 5y agoIf you or anyone else wants to waste their time trying to deprogram fanatics on the internet, go right ahead. But it's a fool's errand. Others have been trying to do that for -yes- years, because anti-vaxx conspiracy theories have been around for a long time. Many people believe that "sunlight is the best disinfectant," and that if you simply approach these people with politeness, empathy and well sourced logic, they will eventually come around. Feel free to try to engage the anti-vaxx community in as many vigorous, Lincoln-Douglas style debates as you like. Just don't say you weren't warned.
- Leparamour 5y agoThis has been my observation as well. The danger is in increasing the extremist rhetoric in an attempt to outdo competing anti-establishment "gurus"/anti-vax influencers in their fight to attract and retain paying followers.
- ostenning 5y agoTo the point where people think there are Nuremberg conventions being broken and a mass depopulation plan being executed by global elites. It’s extreme, it’s dangerous and it’s indoctrinating.
- notheretoo 5y agoVery good point. Because there are some saying things that you think are clearly misguided we must limit all misinformation based on what you think is right. Can you believe how racist it was to think it came from a lab!? We should revoke internet privledges of anyone sharing such racist hateful bigoted information.