No Stupid Questions

The ability to learn from other people without needing the same first hand experience is a hallmark of intelligence. It's one of the things about our species that allowed us to develop past just being yet another animal in the wild. Education is largely based on that principle; your history teacher didn't experience the horrors of trench warfare firsthand.

So I wouldn't call social media insanity so much as potentially addictive, which can cause you to overindulge in those behaviours. Admittedly addiction can feel like insanity when you're in the throes of it.

People have been spouting authoritative-sounding bullshit about things they have no business talking about for as long as humans have had language. The only difference is that now, any single humans bullshit is able to reach everyone on the globe with a smartphone in seconds.

So exactly how the world worked before the internet except instead of getting your misinformation from aunt Becky you get disinformation from xXxFrenchmansCumsockxXx a12 year old in a foreign country... or a bot

Is the "stupid question" if it's literally insane? If so then no, that's not what insanity means. But I think this is a thinly-veiled vent more than a question...

People blather about nothing and things they know little about in basically every setting. It's what people do, and is commonly called conversation.

It was a thing before social media you know the bar talk about train are alwuys late, you just need to do that, that and that, or teacher don't use proper pedagogy with kids and tons of other.

It's eusy to talk about something you don't know

Every AI discussion I've read this morning following the SORA promotional release.

not only that, but occasionally someone with significant professional experience will contribute, but will be immediately downvoted if their professional take isn't in line with the uninformed consensus.

Do you think people only talk about things online that they haven’t experienced irl?

Personally I tend to only talk about things I’m sure about or have first hand experience in.

When this happens on a topic with which you have expert level knowledge, it is so blindingly obvious and eye opening just how wrong every other conversation may be. It strongly suggests having a highly critical eye on any topic.

Your explanation is wrong, though. People might have experience, but you don't know who, because they can lie. And if you think about it, a lot of what we learn is stuff we haven't experienced directly, for a variety of practical reasons.

PSA: The antagonist of FarCry 3 is not a credible source for what does or doesn't constitute "literally insane"

Sounds like real life

Source: trust me bro

Do you have any personal experience with insanity, then? /j

I mean, sort of. "Insane" is pushing it, as it's very normal. You're not really supposed to take anyone's statement at face value.

literally

Adverbs are fun. Know any others?

When we repeat statements from scientists in that particular field, and it's a well-proved assertion that has survived regular scientific challenges, it's a different thing from parroting the verbal drool of someone paid to say outlandish and unfounded gibberish.

If we're talking vaccines, give me an army of epidemiologists vs a street-preacher like Joe Rogan.

Um... why do I feel like I should ask: do you have any experience organizing social media conversations? :-D

As others pointed out, having the feeling of knowing (about) things without actually having experienced them yourself is a core feature of what one might call intelligence, and as such not insane.

I would argue instead that the problem isn’t with arguments over stuff you haven’t experienced yourself, but rather people caring too much about their fixed opinion and not about actually trying to find the truth (e.g. though argument) as they might proclaim.

(I am relatively certain of this point as I’ve seen seemingly good counter examples to this provided by the LessWrong community, where people often discuss topics they do not necessarily have experience with, but rather try to find the truth and therefore not have a fixed opinion beforehand.)

Is there a question here? Or are you just complaining?

And that’s why I don’t use social media

Oh Dr. Satan. I wouldn't call it insanity so much as willful ignorance. People only want to hear what they want to hear. So they tend to reject anything that's a new idea or that challenges their world view and it's easier just to repeat the things they've been brainwashed to believe.

As an LGBTQ plus a bunch of other letters person, trust me when I say I've come against this wall many times. People who are relatively young with little world experience trying to tackle huge issues without much wisdom to back it up. The result IS a kind of mass insanity, where people are more willing to trust misinformation and silliness. That truly is a horrible consequence of not being open minded and willing to be educated.

It's insane, but I love it.

Team peepee