Funny, people are mostly blaming the left for not adressing young boys mental health, but not the right for manipulating them into becoming sexist and violent.
this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2023
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Theory: Entertainment propaganda - like Fox News and (for the non-elderly) performative alt-right influencers/male-rights-douchebags - succeeds for the same reasons as addictive drugs. They introduce a quick dopamine rush of easy answers, validation, and a feeling of euphoric purpose.
Some of that propaganda may be more or less addictive, but it also works by creating and reinforcing mental pathways. Drugs create dependence. When Fox News is left on at the gym, or work, or wherever, or Andrew Tate-esque douchebags show up on TikTok and YouTube feeds, many of these people will just let it play. But soon, they seek it out on their own. They need more validation, they get used to their opinions being digested and fed to them. The outrage becomes comfortingly normal. But then, the high doesn't come as easy, so they go further down the rabbit hole. Most of this functions outside of any semblance of factual support as well - just addictive disinformation/misinformation being handed out to kids on the playground for the power and profit of people higher on the food chain.
So the next question is: Is there anything we can do, within the First Amendment (at least in the US), to disrupt that addictive dopamine drip that every teen has access to?
This is very sad. I was in high school in the 1990s and I was hugely big mouthed left-wing boy with friends who were hugely big mouthed left-wing boys and girls. This in a small town. My graduating class was 100 or so. "most high school seniors claim no political identity" looks promising. They are looking at the landscape and saying "this makes no sense, I'm not signing up for any of this crap." So, you know, perhaps a silver lining?
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Zoomer MAGAs with gay friends/relatives feel like a blister just waiting to burst.