If you’ve been following this newsletter since the beginning, you will know that I spent several years interviewing Gen Z meme posters from across the political spectrum.
I think art is already back on its way up. Purely anecdotal, but just yesterday I overheard a kid saying to his ma something that roughly translates to; I like paintings but not museums. The mother of course found this very strange, but I think the kid was on to something.
I like memes, but not the platforms. Yet, making a platform that encourages the creation of meaningful art has to be possible. While most content is mostly meant to catch attention. There is also a lot of work made to provoke thought.
I find that, despite their shortcomings, message-boards are currently one of the better places for facilitating memes that provoke thought because there is no algorhitmic incentive to optimize for other things: watch length, likes etc.
On messageboards, people download the pictures that enter their conscious the most, and thus the most "impactful", pictures tend to proliferate. Remembering and posting such a picture later requires more effort than merely pushing a like button, or even worse, affirming by contuing to passively consume content i.e., doomscrolling. Because of this minuscule effort required there is a filter against passive affirmation, against auto-pilot sharing of content that barely enters the persons conscious.
Joshua, this project is incredibly fascinating and shows how important it is to understand the radicalization process, especially among younger people. I think what stands out most is your empathetic approach to these interviews, something that feels rare in today's polarized political discourse. You allow these voices to be heard without immediate judgment, which could be the key to bridging the divide between the far-left and far-right movements.
The idea of the "red pill" being reality itself is a poignant takeaway. It’s true that many people are radicalized not necessarily by ideology alone, but by their lived experiences and the harsh realities they face in society. As you pointed out, these online spaces serve as a constant source of reprogramming, but it’s crucial to reflect on how we can reintroduce a vision of collective good, especially when the center is crumbling. While deradicalizing people from the far right is essential, we need to question what we're pulling them back into—is it really a sustainable, fair, and equitable future, or are we just offering a watered-down version of the same old?
I think art is already back on its way up. Purely anecdotal, but just yesterday I overheard a kid saying to his ma something that roughly translates to; I like paintings but not museums. The mother of course found this very strange, but I think the kid was on to something.
I like memes, but not the platforms. Yet, making a platform that encourages the creation of meaningful art has to be possible. While most content is mostly meant to catch attention. There is also a lot of work made to provoke thought.
I find that, despite their shortcomings, message-boards are currently one of the better places for facilitating memes that provoke thought because there is no algorhitmic incentive to optimize for other things: watch length, likes etc.
On messageboards, people download the pictures that enter their conscious the most, and thus the most "impactful", pictures tend to proliferate. Remembering and posting such a picture later requires more effort than merely pushing a like button, or even worse, affirming by contuing to passively consume content i.e., doomscrolling. Because of this minuscule effort required there is a filter against passive affirmation, against auto-pilot sharing of content that barely enters the persons conscious.
how did you define doxxing in this work?
Joshua, this project is incredibly fascinating and shows how important it is to understand the radicalization process, especially among younger people. I think what stands out most is your empathetic approach to these interviews, something that feels rare in today's polarized political discourse. You allow these voices to be heard without immediate judgment, which could be the key to bridging the divide between the far-left and far-right movements.
The idea of the "red pill" being reality itself is a poignant takeaway. It’s true that many people are radicalized not necessarily by ideology alone, but by their lived experiences and the harsh realities they face in society. As you pointed out, these online spaces serve as a constant source of reprogramming, but it’s crucial to reflect on how we can reintroduce a vision of collective good, especially when the center is crumbling. While deradicalizing people from the far right is essential, we need to question what we're pulling them back into—is it really a sustainable, fair, and equitable future, or are we just offering a watered-down version of the same old?
https://expressiveegg.substack.com/p/literalism-limits