[runawaybottle]

I hate to be this dismissive, but I couldn’t find a single paragraph in that article that provided any kind of compelling analysis or insight into human behavior.

I’m less concerned about misinformation propagating through a platform vs why misinformation even works on someone. I don’t care if the whole country of Russia sat there and told you lies with fake accounts 24/7, I want to know why you believed any of it.

Anyways, is The Atlantic supposed to be a reputable website? This article isn’t even the fun kind of hot take, it’s the trite tacky type of hot take (oh, is the Social Dilemma out? Are we going to keep things thematic and piggy back off that?).

[bsenftner]

It is a social network hack: 1) broadcast misinformation wide and often; 2) some individuals lacking in critical thinking accept the misinformation as true and start repeating it; 3) as the misinformation propagates through those that do not verify, it begins to be noticed by those that might verify new information, but so many people in their sphere have adopted this information they accept the information on faith that their peers are like them and have verified the new information; 4) this process repeats until those that do verify are negated by those that refuse to accept that their peers and themselves could be wrong.

[pjc50]

> I want to know why you believed any of it

People are really keen to believe the worst of their enemies. People also are prone to believing in "revelations" and "scoops".

[mfer]

Just knowing why people believe the things doesn't stop people from believing lies or the damage it can do to them and those around them.

[soupfordummies]

Exactly. People know smoking is deadly but they still light up anyway.

You can know that there is a misinformation bubble and it still influence you.

[runawaybottle]

So, should someone not have the liberty to smoke? I just want to get to the bottom of the logic. Are you my mom or dad?

I have the right to join an echo chamber, a straight up human right. I have the right to let Russia feed me misinformation. I have this right.

[FabHK]

> Anyways, is The Atlantic supposed to be a reputable website?

The Atlantic has been a monthly magazine for over 150 years. It is as reputable as, dunno, the New Yorker, Harpers, Mother Jones, etc.