Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
According to Netflix documentary by Vox: Reddit, 4chan, Gab and Bodybuilding.com are "cult-like"
A wide variety of accusations and criticisms coming from different political and ideological corners are being leveled at social media these days, but referring to them as giving rise to “cult-like” communities might be a first.
Netflix has posted a full new documentary on YouTube that deals with various well known and notorious real-world cults, gives survivors a chance to share their experiences and also provides commentary aimed at explaining what a cult is, how it functions, and what motivates its leaders and followers.
But those who make it to the last five or so minutes of the documentary might be in for a bit of a surprise: “Cults, Explained” refers to several large and small social media platforms and online message boards as creating and hosting “cult-like” communities, although, not by name.
Instead, the reference is illustrated by a graphic that shows the logos of some very diverse online places: 4chan, Reddit, Gab, Facebook, and Bodybuilding.com among others. Cults are known to grow around a charismatic leader, who keeps the whole operation together – something that the documentary acknowledges and explores.
However, its makers state that online places of gathering are also legitimately cult-like, even if they are, as the narrator explains, “without a need for a leader.” But the film doesn't at all delve any deeper into why or how this may be the case.
[...]The documentary finds fault with the nature of these communities that are said to provide a place of understanding and kinship to those who are alienated from society or otherwise disaffected. This may be sometimes true, but does it warrant the “cult-like” label?
The film goes on to say that these communities are bad for people simply because “they provide a home, they provide someone to listen to them.”
(Score: 4, Informative) by Magic Oddball on Tuesday October 22 2019, @08:43AM (4 children)
Actually, based on the complaints I've seen in response to admin announcements, Reddit leans slightly to the liberal side these days.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @04:53PM (1 child)
Not slightly but a lot. They literally have banned minor communitirs that align with right and replaced their landing page with link to far leftists.
(Score: 2, Informative) by evilcam on Wednesday October 23 2019, @02:58AM
Hol up lets not dance around this. Recent bans have been for communities like r/frenworld, r/niggers, r/coontown and the like which were legit neonazi breeding grounds, and r/incels which is about as toxic as you can get.
Having said that r/ChapoTrapHouse was quarantined for advocating violence (as was r/The_Donald), so it's not like this is only happening to only alt-right subs.
(Score: 4, Touché) by legont on Wednesday October 23 2019, @02:56AM (1 child)
I've got a shitload of pro and against moderation for my comment, but let me do it again. Bodybuilding.com does more for the humanity than all the liberal places combined.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 23 2019, @04:08PM
Rather like Arnold's term as Governator?