Serious question. Does reading DU warp our minds?

[Botany]

n/t

[ZZenith]

1. Yes.

But not necessarily in a bad way.

[scarletlib]

8. No. Nearly everyone here posts interesting points, articles etc. I learn a lot from everyone.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

58. But it's a bubble like everything else. It isn't unbiased.

I'm not saying that's bad, and I fully understand why it's needed, but of course it is going to warp perspectvie.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. One thing I would say is that, as with any social media bubble full of people who self-select, users

may find they have a skewed understanding about the wider world and other people in it.

[Brenda]

24. Agreed

Whiskey said it more diplomatically than I could.

Sometimes I see posts here that are written with such hatred and with such authoritarianism views it's hard to believe this is a Democratic website.

[Elessar Zappa]

3. If you get too submerged in negative stories, then possibly.

I balance it out by reading, hiking, watching comedies, etc.

[Kaleva]

5. I watch YouTube vids on raising farm animals and gardening

[Elessar Zappa]

9. Interesting!

I really like YouTube.

[Kaleva]

11. There's so many videos on so many topics

[Kaleva]

4. It might radicalize some

A daily heaping dose of how our country is in dire jeopardy and there's a Nazi hiding under every rock might get to people.

[TheBlackAdder]

44. The nice thing is that bullshit here is smacked down. On RW sites, it's fertilizer for crazier shit.

.

If you post nutty, extreme or fake stuff you will get called out for it or have it taken down.

Whereas the loonier the better at RW sites, where anti-intellectualism is a value-added bonus.


DU -





RW Sites -





.

[Kaleva]

48. Yes

[Wibly]

6. Some of it does

Like when you run stories about foreign leaders falling down stairs and pooping themselves and can't provide a single reliable source to prove it actually happened.
Democrats are forever demanding the GOP provide evidence of its many false claims, yet seem to think it is perfectly fine to run stories they cannot verify.
It makes the Democrats look bad, and is a practice they should refrain from engaging.
I notice today all the stories about Putin falling and pooping have been removed, but for 24 hours there, DU was making itself look stupid. And it is not the only time it has happened.
It also continues to happen when you let some of your regulars run out of date stories, or to hype will known stories with Yellow Journalism techniques. For example, when you have a headline that claims Trump is Done and he's not done, or when you call something "Breaking News" that has been news for several days. I understand you need to use hooks and other devices to attract readers, but when the content of stories disproves the content of the headline, it makes you look bad and warps folks minds into thinking they should just ignore some posters, DU in general.
Please, before you give stories air space on your main page, verify them.
It is the least you can do if you want your readers to take you seriously.
I'm on your side folks, but you'll have to tighten up the journalistic standards if you want to keep me, and others, there.

[niyad]

16. And yet, you have been here for nearly 12 years.

[luv2fly]

29. Not to mention, even if Putin really had crapped his pants...

That people laugh about it and make fun of it is disturbing. There are probably already people here who have experienced the embarrassment that goes along with that, and if it hasn't happened yet, it will to some, whether it be to them or someone they care for. It won't be so funny then.

[Celerity]

7. It certainly can for some. I see evidence of it all the time. Less lately, thank fuck, but it still

is out there. It is also pretty much impossible to one hundred per cent prevent, so there is that.

[dmr]

10. No. DU is what you make it to be.

I enjoy reading the opinions of others, even when I disagree.

I came here the day Bush* was installed. DU became my haven. DU has taught me a lot. DU is full of wonderful, intelligent and funny people. I am thankful for DU, and DU'ers.

[chriscan64]

12. I try to do and think about other stuff.

I will look at stuff here more often in the run up to or aftermath of an election as we are in now. When Biden was inaugurated, governing seemed to go back to normal where I would pop in when a bill was introduced. What's the bill? Will it pass? Back in the dark ages of 2017-2021 there was crazy stuff being said and done every day. I personally wanted to know what crazy thing, how crazy was it and the fallout if any.

I have noticed that minds are warped way more on the right than they are here. We talk about politics here with each other, they just blurt out shit at work or the supermarket all the time. With them, it is like the homecoming queen talking about the prom every day of school.

[Caliman73]

13. We would need to know what you mean by "warp".

Can reading DU create an unrealistic idea of the political landscape? Sure. Does it inspire hatred? It could, although nothing explicitly calls people to hate the other side. Providing viewpoints that are not as diverse as what is out there in society can inspire less openness.

So, ultimately we would need to know what you mean by "warped" to give the most accurate answer.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

14. There is far too much unvetted disinformation posted on this website and

combined with a tendency of some to respond to it the most extremist sorts of "hot takes" is rather depressing at times.

Liberalism depends of an embrace of rationality and reason. Those are elements that are sometimes in short supply here, in my estimation.

[niyad]

18. Could you perhaps point out some of the "unvetted disinformation" to which

you refer?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

19. To give just one example, you might check a thread from today that you mentioned you planned

to bookmark.

It is full of falsely edited and fake quotes.

Not your fault that you may have been mislead by the disinformation, but it is there.

[niyad]

20. Please be so kind as to point out all the "fake quotes", anf false editing.

Thanks in advance.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

21. Read the thread.

I hope you find it informative.

[niyad]

23. remdi95

[Just A Box Of Rain]

25. Too cryptic a reference for me to understand.

[luv2fly]

30. Too many people seem to want to be "first"

Quantity of posts seems to be valued here amongst too many people, quality taking a second seat.

[Torchlight]

15. I dunno about warped, but it has changed mine a couple of times

Reading posts in both the Feminism and African American groups has really given me a lot to reflect on that I hadn't really thought about before, and given me perspectives I may not have ever come across otherwise (plus adding cites to tons of new reading material that gets added to My List of Stuff I'll Try To Get To).

[niyad]

22. That is one of the many things thst I love about DU. So much wonderful and

amazing information.

[Torchlight]

53. Precisely.

It's a pretty cool place.

[niyad]

17. Is there a specific reason for this question?

[Sympthsical]

26. As long as people know it is a highly curated bubble, it's fine.

What stories are shared - and more importantly, which ones are not - can shape a perception of the world very easily.

There can be a lot of disinformation shared, particularly from Twitter. I almost always laterally read sources and what's being asserted, especially if it doesn't sound right.

It's a highly tribal place. It's designed to be tribal. It's in the SoP. Which is fine. The internet is big enough for all different kinds of spaces. People want a space where the Right isn't swooping in nonstop. Perfectly okedoke.

It's when people don't know these things, and they think they're getting an accurate bead on what the world is actually like that I start to bother. I'm a progressive Democrat who always votes Democratic, but it feels like half my posts are just when I'm jumping in to point out what's wrong with an ideological mutual sesh over this or that story. Sometimes it's necessary to wade into a crowd praising a terrible idea and saying, "This is a terrible idea!" even if you're the only one saying it.

I accept it as it is - a highly partisan space with a very imbalanced view of things as a result, but with enough people who I enjoy reading enough to return. Hey, I wouldn't go into a World of Warcraft message board and go, "Wait a minute. All these people play World of Warcraft!"

Just know what you're getting, and it's gravy.

[Mr.Bill]

27. It does the opposite.

It straightens them out.

[keithbvadu2]

28. Always something new to learn.

[luv2fly]

31. Witness some people celebrating Kirstie Alley's death

So yeah, either DU's bubble of self-righteousness warps some minds or some minds are already warped. I don't know which.

[Elessar Zappa]

32. On the GD thread,

there’s exactly one poster celebrating her death. That’s not exactly representative of DU.

[luv2fly]

33. Substitute others who have passed and are not "in favor" for Alley and the pattern repeats over time

I didn't say it is representative of DU, rather it represents a warped way of thinking as pertains to the original question. Celebrating anyone's death makes no sense to me.

[Silent3]

35. I'd definitely celebrate Putin's death now

That would likely be the best and fastest way to ending the war in Ukraine. If the loss of that one very unworthy life could do so much good, I'd celebrate that without the slightest guilt.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

37. The idea that some people are not really people isn't that uncommon a theme on this forum.

Unfortunately.

[Botany]

41. Kirstie Alley's death ... I didn't know until now. Damn this one hurts

She was a real talent.

[Kennah]

34. I hope so, and I like the direction

[roamer65]

36. No.

That’s the job of “Truth Social”.

Trumpism mixed with RuZZian disinformation.

[Prairie_Seagull]

38. Many if not most of us are of a "certain age" and I would find it hard to

believe that our minds were not already made up before we ever showed up here at DU. I was a bona fide (through voting patterns) liberal democrat. I brought these beliefs here to DU. Du has only served to fan an already burning fire.
Sometimes it dies back down and sometimes it's a raging inferno. That said it was there all along. So I don't think it warps my mind. It does however feed it and for that I thank all the good folks here on DU.

As to younger users, Just try to tell them that DU is warping their minds. I dare ya. I think many came because there are many older users and most of us are pretty careful with our language. It sometimes depends on the hour and consumption level but most the time I find it hilarious. My mind was made up at a pretty young age and I would have had a problem with anyone saying that what I was reading at the time was warping my mind.

One mans opinion or in youth speak "Just sayin"

[H2O Man]

39. No.

Not mine, anyhow. It was warped long, long before DU existed. Sometimes the forum does help in fine-tuning it, though.

[GusBob]

40. Yep

If this were truly a liberal forum
Bernie would be King and AOC would be Queen

And if climate activists were so bold to throw soup on famous paintings they would be lauded from rooftops

Getting older makes one less liberal

[betsuni]

42. ...

[niyad]

59. You know, I have been hearing that line for decades, and it is, in my experience,

total BS. It is certainly not true in my circle, nor in any of the people I know. If anythjng, ee are getting more radical. From the Grey Panthers on. Think HRC. Gloria Steinem. George Clooney. . .etc., etc., ad infinitem.

[Renew Deal]

43. Like anything, too much is not good.

Especially if you are prone to conspiracies, anger, and paranoia. You should be OK if you cross check information and don’t instantly react to everything you see. But this advice also applies to the internet as a whole.

If you mean that you buy into equality and environmentalism, then no. You are considerably better informed than most.

[betsuni]

45. But what do you mean exactly?

[48656c6c6f20]

46. One can only hope so.

[fightforfreedom]

47. DU reminds me there are still some sane people left in our country.

[newdayneeded]

49. I find it's a place where we can talk about

the asshole right. It makes me feel like I'm not alone in the fight. This site does have extreme for sure (a few of my post included). But what the hell, ideas are still root of most of the posts.

One thing I do is dip into the science group once in awhile. there's some very smart people on DU. it's like hearing directly from scientists sometimes.

The sports groups give a little break as well.

Like others said upthread, youtube, tubi, netflix, or get outside and take a ride or walk. it's all good.

[BlackSkimmer]

50. No more than any other social media.

Always take when you read with a pinch of salt. A large pinch.

[BlackSkimmer]

51. Maybes if you have no independent thought,

Last edited Tue Dec 6, 2022, 11:46 AM - Edit history (1)

But no.

Try fox if you need mind warping lol.

[Botany]

52. Fox News or Фокс Новости or Foks Novosti

The place is a dumping ground for Russian disinformation.

[AntivaxHunters]

54. I don't know about "warping minds"

but I wish we could have more honest discussion on here and that does bother me a lot. I won't lie, it does.
I think we should be able to criticize our own when they doo wrong and not have to worry about getting into trouble about it. But it seems we can't. And I don't understand it. Our party is not perfect. Is it better than Republicans? You better damn well believe it! However I'm unsure how to have a serious discussion when we can't discuss how we disagree with our own elected officials who are (D) when they do things we disagree with like not supporting student loan & medical debt erasure as example.

[LuckyCharms]

55. No. Most of the people on DU "sound" like the people I would

hang out with in real life.

The discussions that I have on DU are similar to the the discussions I have in real life with the like minded people that I engage with.

If I sense someone busting my balls (for whatever reason) on DU, I feed their shit right back to them, just as I do in real life.

I don't tend to engage very much with people in my real life who are not at least somewhat of the same mind that I am. DU doesn't have any OBVIOUS trump supporters, and neither does my real life. I don't really have much of a desire to try convert right wing assholes. It is usually a futile effort to try to do so. This is not to say that I avoid people who disagree with me on certain subjects, but I am really too busy to engage with people who think the opposite of me on the important subjects. I'm not going to change their minds, and they're not going to change my mind. I don't want my life to turn into one long debate.

I type on DU exactly the way I talk in real life. Exactly. And I'm not afraid to come across as a jerk occasionally, because that is how I am in real life.

So DU does not warp my mind anymore than my real life interactions do.

[Chakaconcarne]

56. Raises my anxiety levels, but keeps me informed...

I take breaks periodically which improve my mental health.

[NNadir]

57. It depends on the subject being discussed and what one means by "warped."

In a purely political setting, it can be an echo chamber. I want always to be optimistic, but I shave a few points off the optimism expressed here when predicting an outcome. I'm pleased, of course, when optimistic DUers are proved correct, but I certainly don't wish to rely on the pronostications.

In areas outside of politics, I learn a lot, often by challenging myself on what I'm hearing, or by looking more deeply into it.

DU is the best liberal website there is, by far.

I can't say I've been "warped." I have changed my ideas because of things I've learned here, in particular on issues in energy. My 2022 "NNadir" might have a difficult argument with my 2002 DU "NNadir" - I joined then - and this process is called "learning."

[Bettie]

60. I get plenty of right wingnuttery

just by living in this town.

I come here for some sanity...I live in a right wing bubble, I like having this one too.

[Spazito]

61. No, I don't think so...

There are many forums and groups here with a large variety of interests in which one can participate. I can only assume you are limiting your question to those whose interest is primarily politics and, for me, the answer is still no, it is the opposite, imo.

I find well-researched articles being posted, very interesting perspectives being posted that make me think more deeply about a subject and even, sometimes, changes my mind. One such incidence was during the discussion of whether pot should be legalized or just decriminalized. I thought legalizing it was a step too far but after reading and participating in the debate I became a strong supporter of legalizing it.

DU is a haven for those who lean left, a good place to read various opinions on many topics and that can only be a positive, imo.

[Scruffy1]

62. Hardly.

I rarely post here because I think most subjects are adequately covered by those who get there first. My politics are definitely left of center from the average DU member, but over the years I've learned more from the people who are regular posters than I could from any other source. Keep up the good work. The whole pro wrestling style antics of the right is an effort to move the "center" over and force progressives into playing defense instead of being aggressive in pursuit of a more egalitarian society. My advice is to ignore the shit show and keep on trucking.