YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#1

Post by tysone » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 2:58 PM UTC

YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?
nytimes.com

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#2

Post by rsynnott » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:40 PM UTC

[flagged]

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#3

Post by srkmno » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

Conspiracy theories are fiction which is protected speech, it's interesting how newspapers are thumbing their noses at the first amendment and smearing competitors who also enjoy it's protection as perhaps they sense an opportunity at regaining gatekeeper status.

It also can be said that "conspiracy theories" are part of internet culture as no one really believes the earth is flat, it's just attention seeking behavior and trolling.

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#4

Post by bdcravens » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

rsynnott wrote: post #2

[flagged]

I often get sucked in for entertainment value on those videos, even when I don't agree with anything they are saying.

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#5

Post by gipp » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:46 PM UTC

rsynnott wrote: post #2

[flagged]

https://youtube.googleblog.com/2019/01/continuing-our-work-t...

YouTube and Google have put out tons of comms lately indicating that it's at least something top of mind

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#6

Post by whatislovecraft » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:46 PM UTC

Is this really YouTube's fault? The President of the USA thinks China invented climate change as a hoax to reduce the economic output of the USA. Who can expect youth or anyone really to be okay in an age where the ruling parties are themselves the ones creating and pushing the wildest conspiracies?

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#7

Post by duxup » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:47 PM UTC

bdcravens wrote: post #4

rsynnott wrote: post #2

[flagged]

I often get sucked in for entertainment value on those videos, even when I don't agree with anything they are saying.

I wonder if that is sometimes their intent. Sort of the "oh it's just a joke" situations you see, but the intent may be just normalization of it / a gateway to keep planting these ideas and doubts.

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#8

Post by inherentFloyd » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:47 PM UTC

>Mr. Dawson unspooled a series of far-fetched hypotheses. Among them: that iPhones secretly record their owners’ every utterance

Yeah, but that's true.

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#9

Post by duxup » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:48 PM UTC

In the early days of the internet I thought all this "information" being available / soon to be available as a positive. I had no idea what the negatives would be at that point, let alone the scale.

Re: YouTube Unleashed a Conspiracy Theory Boom. Can It Be Contained?

#10

Post by duxup » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 4:49 PM UTC

whatislovecraft wrote: post #6

Is this really YouTube's fault? The President of the USA thinks China invented climate change as a hoax to reduce the economic output of the USA. Who can expect youth or anyone really to be okay in an age where the ruling parties are themselves the ones creating and pushing the wildest conspiracies?

>Is this really YouTube's fault?

At some point aren't they responsible for hosting it?

If I were hosting it, I'd feel somewhat responsible.