420

Reading raw comments is like executing malware on your brain (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by keepthepace@slrpnk.net to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net

102 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I found that idea interesting. Will we consider it the norm in the future to have a "firewall" layer between news and ourselves?

I once wrote a short story where the protagonist was receiving news of the death of a friend but it was intercepted by its AI assistant that said "when you will have time, there is an emotional news that does not require urgent action that you will need to digest". I feel it could become the norm.

EDIT: For context, Karpathy is a very famous deep learning researcher who just came back from a 2-weeks break from internet. I think he does not talks about politics there but it applies quite a bit.

EDIT2: I find it interesting that many reactions here are (IMO) missing the point. This is not about shielding one from information that one may be uncomfortable with but with tweets especially designed to elicit reactions, which is kind of becoming a plague on twitter due to their new incentives. It is to make the difference between presenting news in a neutral way and as "incredibly atrocious crime done to CHILDREN and you are a monster for not caring!". The second one does feel a lot like exploit of emotional backdoors in my opinion.

(page 2) 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] EntirelyUnlovable@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I wonder if maybe it's more apt a comparison to say that allowing raw comments to affect you in a strong way is like running a random program as root. To a certain extent you have to let this kind of harmful content in.

P.s. the short story sounds cool - is it available to read anywhere?

[-] gayhitler420@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

you already have that firewall. it's your experiences and human connections, your understanding of media, your personal history and learning and the feelings you experience.

you don't need a firewall to keep you from being manipulated, you need to learn to fucking read and think and feel. to learn and question, to develop trusted friends and family you can talk to.

if it feels like your emotional backdoors are being exploited then maybe youre thinking or behaving like a monster and your mind is revolting against itself.

[-] Desmond373@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 year ago

People are thinking of the firewall here as something external. You can do this without outside help.

Who is this source. Why are they telling me this. How do they know this. What infomation might they be ommiting.

From that point you have enough infomation to make a judgement for yourself what a point of infomation is.

[-] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Do we have an iamverysmart community yet?

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

Having a will means choosing what to do. Denying the existence of a person’s will is dehumanizing.

[-] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

I've, since I was young, had mantra. If you don't why your are doing something someone else does. Its not always conspiracy or malicious its literally the basis of the idea of memetics, shareable and spreadable ideas that form the basis of who we are and what we know.