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I have a few friends that are trying to "solve this problem" -- ranging from ideas on better, more inclusive social networks, to vetting (news) sources and ideas, to self-governance, to curation-heavy communities.

I personally don't really think it's a "problem" -- people simply, on average, just don't care about other opinions (especially opposing ones). This happens on both sides of any debate. Why learn about, study, and discuss the moral implications of abortion and wade through its ethical morass when you can just share some provocative meme? Why actually read the W.E.B DuBois and Booker T. Washington debates when you can just share some celebrity's shallow BLM Tweet? Hacker News is a rare gem[1]. Most people aren't educated, curious, and willing to accept when/if they're wrong. This is exacerbated by the re-emergence of yellow journalism in mainstream media (where accountability for misleading or even false headlines is nonexistent) because these days it's all about the clicks.

So we're left with Twitter and Facebook. And people, on average, like their echo chambers. They don't want to be challenged or poked or prodded. In 2020, Socrates would be banned from Twitter.

[1] Although, perhaps as a sign of the times, even this post is getting downvoted without any discussion.




I fear you are being over cynical. I think most people don't have the time or energy to care about so many different things. The person we imagine in the conversation will care deeply about family, friends. Possibly about their work and maybe one or two "big" issues - but grief there are a lot of issues being top-of-lungs- screamed right now and ten more to come.

Take our persona abi e and put them on a citizens jury and give them two weeks paid time to get involved in an issue (like Irish did on abortion laws) and we will see nuanced balanced decision making (which we may or may not agree with).

And for the very big issues that become part of the "public conversation" this does happen - I am pretty sure that most people in the UK considered the issues around Brexit as deeply as they wanted to - there was time motivation and information available to all.

So for most issues yes they fly past us all, covered in fake news and attention grabbing antics, and sometimes we get angry but most of the time it's just wallpaper.

I don't like the wallpaper and don't think it's conducive to pleasant conversation but I doubt few people are actually fooled.


Brexit was dominated by misinformation and bad prospectouses far more than any recent election. People voted against things that were not going to happen any time soon, and in favor of things that were never going to be delivered, like the extra NHS money.




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