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by ironjunkie 2879 days ago
I don't know if I would be proud.

It is very easy to be morally outraged for something that everyone in the West already agrees with. At this point it is almost a way to display a morale high ground.

I would rather see morale outrage on more subtle subject such as the digital addiction that Youtube etc creates, literally destroying lifes. [1]

[1] https://www.wired.com/story/our-minds-have-been-hijacked-by-...

2 comments

I think the reaction is much better than the reaction we saw out of Facebook about a leaked internal memo earlier this year.
Oppression destroys more lives than an addictive freedom.
One clear government oppression versus a new "hidden" oppression.

In the long term I'm not so sure that your statement will stand.

How is a choice a "hidden" oppression? I can see an argument for algorithms suppressing certain world views being a problem...but as just a stand alone choice, that is not real oppression. If you think it is, you've probably never lived in an oppressive country. China is essentially stack ranking citizens for access to certain rights and you're concerned about people's viewing habits. We've gone generations of people claiming the same things about radio, TV, music, etc. In the end those were replaced or the next generation wasn't as attached...actual oppression is sticky.
Is it a choice if that things goes to great lengths to take advantage of you by manipulating known triggers in your human behavior? Some people don't have the will to choose, that's addiction.