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Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

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Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#131

Post by Porthos9K »

faissaloo wrote: post #106
Porthos9K wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My default assumption is that trolls attacking any sort of "leftist" activist are either alt-reich channers or corporate astroturfers. I don't assume good faith on the part of trolls, but instead always suspect an ulterior motive.

I don't believe they're channers, they're far to numerous and their commenting style tends towards boomerisms.

At this point I no longer care. If we're not mutuals, and you attempt to reach me on Twitter, you're just wasting your time because I send unsolicited interaction attempts by non-mutuals to /dev/null.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#132

Post by bassman9000 »

bfdm wrote: post #55
AlexB138 wrote: post #14

Using children as political tools is disgusting. It's blatantly manipulative. Throwing them into the cess-pool of public politics and then acting as if you're shocked they're in a cess-pool, and using that shock to try to score political points, is one of the more reprehensible tactics in the modern play book.

Maybe perhaps we could try to raise the level of discourse across the board? Why does it have to be a cess pool at all? We really have to do something to reduce the firehose of twitter/FB bots and trolls with no accountability. It's like the old days of email spam, but with targetted abuse and harassment.

Weaponizing children can go in both directions. Isn't it abuse and harassment telling children that they're doomed, that they have no future, that earth will be ruined in 10 years?

If crime increases in the neighborhood, do you tell your children they're going to die? No, you tell them to be careful, to follow some simple, easy-for-them rules, and that things will be fine.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#133

Post by Retric »

repolfx wrote: post #124
Retric wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a question of agency. Young children rarely get the feeling that anything they do has inherent value. Something as simple as gathering twigs for a campfire is unusual specifically because it’s helpful. Activism at that age is a mix of learning experience and actually useful. So, IMO it can be a positive activity in the right context.

But there's nothing an 8 year old can do to be helpful for climate change. At 8 you don't even really understand what the climate is or how it's different from weather, let alone what CO2 or methane are. This appears to just be a continuation of the disturbing trend of adults trying to make themselves feel virtuous by speaking through their children.

8 is ~3rd grade. That’s old enough to look up and understand things that interest them. While I doubt every 8 year old had that understanding, this is about a specific 8 year old.

I specifically remember a science class in third grade that had photosynthesis producing Oxygen and asking my dad for more information. In the age of the Internet someone getting the basic chemistry idea that molecules are made from atoms thing down should not be that surprising.

IMO, it’s plenty old enough to understand why cars get so hot inside when left in the sun which is about as far as the vast majority of adults understand climate change.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#134

Post by ASalazarMX »

buboard wrote: post #127
ASalazarMX wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trolling is not a right, it's an abuse of a right. You have freedom to express yourself, but using that freedom to harass others for fun is strongly discouraged in society. It flies on the Internet because people can show their worst behavior with practically no discouragement.

Trolling is not harassment. It 's a protected right, just like most expression.

Posting pornographic media with the intention of it being seen by an underage kid is a protected right?

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#135

Post by buboard »

jakobegger wrote: post #68
AlexB138 wrote: post #14

Using children as political tools is disgusting. It's blatantly manipulative. Throwing them into the cess-pool of public politics and then acting as if you're shocked they're in a cess-pool, and using that shock to try to score political points, is one of the more reprehensible tactics in the modern play book.

Yeah, kids have no place in politics. They should stay quiet, play minecraft, impress their parents with fun science projects, but under no circumstances should they speak out, and anybody amplifying their voice is disgusting and reprehensible.

Thats a slippery slope that leads to the abolition of children's rights. (because they don't need to be protected either)

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#136

Post by buboard »

ASalazarMX wrote: post #134
buboard wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trolling is not harassment. It 's a protected right, just like most expression.

Posting pornographic media with the intention of it being seen by an underage kid is a protected right?

That's illegal - but not because it's trolling, but because they 're underage.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#137

Post by petraeus »

Kids are simply used these days to deflect any criticism, HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE A 16 YR OLD KID

The truth is most of these children are just that, children, they are being used by capitalistic parents as a walking billboard for whatever agenda or service is being promoted.

Awareness is great and all but not many people are looking to be more aware, we are looking for practical solutions, none of which are being offered with all the attention goes to idolizing a child.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#138

Post by rdtwo »

buboard wrote: post #5

I cant help but think that those girls were selected specifically because they re underage. That they would attract trolls is an inevitability.

What you are describing is a common leftist trolling tactic that is highly effective. Here is a video on woke brands that describes the process. https://youtu.be/06yy88tLWlg essentially they take a person that Is in some protected class or group, make them say something thats slightly left but not super controversial, then invite right wing trolls to the party and give the trolls a bunch of publicity while playing victim. It’s a super popular viral market strategy right now.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#139

Post by ASalazarMX »

buboard wrote: post #136
ASalazarMX wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Posting pornographic media with the intention of it being seen by an underage kid is a protected right?

That's illegal - but not because it's trolling, but because they 're underage.

It's trolling. Trolls want shock, and will resort to anything for it, even if illegal.

But let's leave that aside. Do you consider gratuitous insults, slurs, doctored images and defamation aimed at a single individual, a protected right? If a troll did that in person, he would likely be dealt with legally, that's why they do it in numbers and behind a virtual gate. The idea of impunity brings the worst of them.

Re: Trolls Are Swarming Young Climate Activists Online

#140

Post by rdtwo »

jakobegger wrote: post #75
crazynick4 wrote: post #10

Sad to see. Although, honestly, the parents shouldn't have allowed their kids to put themselves in these 'activist' positions to begin with. What did they expect? And also, a 16 year old girl speaking at the UN? Is that a joke? I fully support protecting the environment but this is child exploitation for political purposes. These movements should be led by scientists, not children. Is it any wonder people are still s…

> And also, a 16 year old girl speaking at the UN? Is that a joke? The real joke are the adult idiots who'd rather destroy our planet than listen to someone speaking uncomfortable truths.

Telling someone there is a problem does nothing to drive the solution. Especially when the problem is known but the solution is incredibly complex.
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