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He is amplifying the issue, but you're right, Trump is a symptom of the underlying problem. The problem is that internet gave these idiots a platform to mislea
by kube-system 2mo ago
He is amplifying the issue, but you're right, Trump is a symptom of the underlying problem. The problem is that internet gave these idiots a platform to mislead people.
Back in the early 90s this wasn't much of a problem. Childhood vaccine requirements weren't some hot-button topic then. Most people would just get them when faced with the requirement. Most opposition was isolated to people who were otherwise contrarians already.
The difference now is that the internet is full of these isolated contrarians who are now influencing gullible people who don't know who to trust.
- MoltenMan 2mo agoCompletely agree! I will add though: this is a symptom of a problem that started 10-20 years ago. There's a lot of lag time between parents not giving their babies vaccines and outbreaks actually happening. You can see ages here.(https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html) 5 and under are only 20% of cases.
- kube-system 2mo ago> this is a symptom of a problem that started 10-20 years ago. ... and that's right when social media gained majority adoption among US adults.
- sophacles 2mo agoMore like 25+ years ago. In the early 2000s you saw a lot of celebrities pushing vaccine fear because they read some book version of "doctors don't want you to know this one wierd fact" that made the best-seller list or another. I remember people arguing about it in college classes, and I graduated in 2003.
- NamlchakKhandro 2mo agoDo you think it's also helpful that they see these things being pushed "for profit)
- diroussel 2mo agoAre you blaming communication technology?
- xorcist 2mo agoNeither phones, nor email, not even usenet had this impact. Social media did. The problem is not with the technology but those that control it. (Some would probably say, the fact that any one actor controls it in the first place.) Our only means of communication in modern society are a few advertising platforms in hands of even fewer owners, and the engineers hired to run it are busy engagementmaxxing.
- kube-system 2mo agoI'm blaming the current social media landscape, which amplifies ideas based on the engagement they create, which has an unintended consequence of amplifying exciting controversial falsehoods over long-held boring truths. We have given the largest megaphones to the biggest village idiots.