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posted by janrinok on Tuesday October 22 2019, @12:25AM   Printer-friendly
from the are-we-a-cult-too? dept.

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.”


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  • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (2 children)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (#910447) Journal

    Sooo........ just like any other President of any party. Check.

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  • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (1 child)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (#910449) Journal

    Except for the veto part. Signing stuff, whatever it is, makes for less work and signing things only your own party likes is the norm.

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    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @09:43PM

      by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Tuesday October 22 2019, @09:43PM (#910563) Homepage Journal

      Nah, they all want the job for the money and the power. The only reason I'd take it is to keep those jackasses from getting it. Outside wear and tear on my fishing gear you could keep the money. And power annoys the shit out of me cause it always means more work. I genuinely don't give a fuck what anyone does as long as they're not hurting anyone and if they are we usually have something in place that wouldn't require me to do anything except possibly tell some fuckers to do their jobs.

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