this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2024
163 points (96.0% liked)

science

14779 readers
24 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

<--- rules currently under construction, see current pinned post.

2024-11-11

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Some just want to promote conflict, cause chaos, or even just get attention.

There has been a lot of research on the types of people who believe conspiracy theories, and their reasons for doing so. But there’s a wrinkle: My colleagues and I have found that there are a number of people sharing conspiracies online who don’t believe their own content.

They are opportunists. These people share conspiracy theories to promote conflict, cause chaos, recruit and radicalize potential followers, make money, harass, or even just to get attention.

There are several types of this sort of conspiracy-spreader trying to influence you.

all 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 36 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I love watching tankies squirm under adequate questioning of their morals.

You all fail to be genuine and it's genuinely amazing.

[–] Soup@lemmy.cafe 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Saw one yesterday that demanded proof against her argument. Someone provided it, she didn’t like it so she said it wasn’t true- then demanded true proof from a different source.

Of course that too was provided, this time by another person, and this also was dismissed as not true.

Several examples and fact-checked articles later she folded her arms and bailed. Never having admitted she was wrong.

It was truly remarkable!

Aaaah hahaha another one!

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 34 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Bunch of dickheads apparently feeling attacked in these comments

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 7 points 1 month ago

Thankfully I have plenty of popcorn lol. 🍿 help yourself to some if you'd like.

[–] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Power. Done, saved you a read.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Is it power? These are delusions. They don't affect reality.

Mostly, they appear to be coping for anxiety and stress. Trump's MAGA is a way to convince conservatives that "the patriots are in control" when they're plainly powerless. The Mueller She Wrote crowd needs to believe police exist for powerful people and it's not all just punching down.

All these lies seem to exist and get regurgitated because the truth is too awful to contend with.

[–] Soup@lemmy.cafe 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

We call them tankies. It’s less…. Offensive.

[–] match@pawb.social 5 points 1 month ago

like me saying that Hasbro hired pinkertons to threaten the commander rules committee into handing over control of the format