Influencers and Insurrectionists

I keep hearing people talk about whether it was Facebook or Fox News or Donald Trump who led us down this deep mess of radicalization. But it's feeling more and more to me like those are all the same things. Donald Trump is the essence of a conservative radio host. Facebook hosts Fox News, Trump's decisions and tweets determine what's on Fox News which determine what he's thinking about, which controls what's happening on Facebook which informs Fox News which informs Donald Trump.
The deeper mechanism is that, if you let this self-reinforcing feedback loop run, everyone in it gets more radicalized every day. That's true on the left as well, just much less so. Why that is, is easy to speculate about, but I'm certainly not certain.
This is a real mess we're in, and I think it's important to recognize that social media is just media now. We are all influencers, and we all have a responsibility to use our creation and our attention in ways that aren't destructive.
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[@TheMysticallPie]

That journalist analogy was the first time I realized how weird the influencer name is.

[@vlogbrothers]

I've been using it for years!

[@hopesparks3839]

@@vlogbrothers And Dave Jorgenson from WP has also been using it for the past year or so!!! Honestly that man is keeping newspapers alive for GenZ

[@emilymartin5418]

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[@frankjansen1555]

@@vlogbrothers this is a nice youtube throwback kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqernItvaduZnpY

[@SageGarlandSingerSongwriter]

That's one way to take it... The way I took it was that the for profit journalism system can skew the news or make it's presentation worse.

[@Mu3azOsman]

"it's not about money" *laughs in 57$ a month that I get from youtube*

[@allornada9564]

#loaded 😂 jkjk but royalties are nice.

[@doctormo]

You guys joke but try making open source software (or open culture content) where you might get paid for your future work, but there's very little ability to get paid for past works. Patreon helps.

[@IceMetalPunk]

You get paid from KZbin? Nice.

[@PySimpleGUI]

@@doctormo I've not seen Patreon work for any Open Source effort. Would LOVE to see the same kind of support via that mechanism, but it doesn't seem to be there.

[@MonsteroftheMW]

@@doctormo I feel this in my soul. I illustrated a book in 2010 where the author and i agreed to split profits. To this day I owe .50. Wonk wonk.

[@cayaberry2452]

This is a topic that deserves more than 4 min.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

There's a video on a similar topic on HanksChannel. But I agree I think this topic deserves a longer vlogbrothers video if Hank wants to make one.

[@ValentineWiggen]

It's what hanks books are about

[@tegan6554]

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[@philipmcclure6493]

Watch the Social Dilemma on Netflix. It’s a documentary that goes in depth on how Social media has radicalized people.

[@ofMindandHeart]

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[@ArielBissett]

Great insight. This is part of the thing that scares me about all of the "when are you going to share your opinion on the current political moment?!" messages I get minutes after something happens. I think there's a lot of value to shutting up sometimes. A lot of value in waiting to form an opinion that is more calm and focused rather than broad and general just because you felt you had to say something before becoming irrelevant and, lets face it, not being entertaining in the heat of the moment. I don't want "being first" or "being topical" to be the reasons I make a decision.

[@sumeiyaaden8190]

sometimes it’s okay to say “I’m not informed on this topic enough to form an opinion on it”

[@jimbrookhyser]

Interesting. In my feelings, I don't feel like the topic is irrelevant after a while. I feel like if I keep with a topic then I can have a real affect on the long term outcomes. I long ago started to feel like my hot takes we're drowned out by a sea of other hot takes. But if I stay consistently engaged with a topic for years, I can end up making a difference. I'm guessing not many people feel my same sense of power.

[@priyabuddhavarapu]

great take! sometimes as an 🤢 influencer 🤮 removing your voice from the conversation is far more constructive than adding it. it allows room for everyone to listen to the people who need to be heard

[@lisawallace1741]

Not only waiting but speaking calmly, which sometimes means slowly

[@Psittacus_erithacus]

This is a noble sentiment and the motivation behind it (lower the temperature, present a thoughtful/moderated opinion when/if you present one at all) is absolutely laudable. But I'm not certain it is truly the best approach. If we leave the early takes to the hot heads then only hot headed takes will be out there. For better or worse (it's worse) the immediate aftermath of a thing is the period of time when the most people are engaged with a subject and forming their own opinions about it. People have got to be seeing an alternative to the most heated and destructive reactions. It seems very likely to me that what we need is more people posting moderate content and doing so both quickly and forcefully. So that there is always a counterpoint to the worst reactionary stuff. People are easily swayed and even the most strong willed of us sometimes need to hear another voice in agreement with our own thoughts. Even if that message is just that it's ok to take a minute and reserve judgement for now. That's a message folks may need to hear-to give them a bit of cover and the space to form a more considered opinion for themselves. I think that people with reach need to be forcefully pushing for this. If recent experience has taught me anything, it's been to fear what happens when the considerate & humble have less energy than the the reckless & self-serving. We need active, visible role models demonstrating moderation and competence in as public a way as possible. At least, that's how it seems to me. I'm open to better ideas, of course … but one thing I'm sure of is that those of us who care about building and maintaining thoughtful, competent communities need to be doing more not less.

[@Jogwheel]

This "race to the extremes" is something I think many of us on KZbin saw coming 10+ years ago. It was obvious that if the 'algorithm' kept promoting crazier and more radical voices... we were going to end up with more crazy and radical influencerss. Which is too bad... I miss the old days when community and entertainment were valued here instead of loudness and conspiracy :(

[@RCPlanes59]

My vote is to bring back The Microwave Show... you know, for humanity, just in case.

[@LordofWolves]

@@RCPlanes59 I second this. Bring back good into the world.

[@koalatycontent1305]

Really just race to the right though. Both sides are going further and further away from the people's interests and trying, more and more desperately, to spread misinformation to convince the masses that they're voting for their best interests.

[@Alverant]

Radicalize to the conservative end of the political spectrum. I haven't had KZbin try to feed me videos of liberals advocating violence.

[@SIGSEGV1337]

This is a direct product of liberal capitalism because it short-sightedly tells people that "as long as what you're doing makes money and isn't immediately dangerous to a person's life no one should tell you not to do it", forgetting that things that seem benign end up creating a society that is very unwell and lends itself to extremely dangerous behaviour

[@briangarrow448]

I stopped checking Facebook just after the 2016 election. This Christmas my daughter gave me a new phone. She installed the Facebook app on it. I’m going to ask her to remove or hide it. 3 weeks of my former classmates and friends spouting crazy crap is enough for me. I am pushing towards my 7th decade on this planet and I hope people like you get the chance to run things.

[@vlogbrothers]

Ooof, that sounds rough. Sorry you're going through that.

[@user-rr2ep3gt5p]

If you're ever confused about how to perform a certain function on your devices just google it :-) (for instance, "how to take a screenshot on a MacBook" or "how to uninstall an app on an android") It really helps.

[@sarahcb3142]

@@user-rr2ep3gt5p I love how this channel's comments section has stayed as friendly and insightful as it was way back in the early days. It's just so wonderful to have a small little area of KZbin where people still try to help and learn from each other.

[@emilymartin5418]

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[@qwertyTRiG]

My Facebook friends are wonderful people, wise, witty, and not prone to conspiracy theories. And I still feel that spending too much time there is bad for me. Facebook is just not a very healthy environment.

[@liz5773]

I accidentally got 24k followers on Tiktok through primarily political content. I don't take the responsibility that comes along with this lightly, and spend ridiculous amounts of time planning out the words I say and additional resources for people to look into... and that's for 1 minute long videos. I would hope that others are doing the same, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[@vlogbrothers]

It's much harder to do it the right way. Thank you.

[@liz5773]

@@vlogbrothers

[@ThumbWar2012]

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[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

"I accidentally got 24k followers" is such a flex. Impressive.

[@auracle6184]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 It's kinda true though, nobody knows when their stupid joke or hot take will become the next viral meme. I'd bet the person who uploaded Charlie Bit My Finger thought it was just a cute moment to share with family and friends, but then hundreds of millions of views later with people making songs about it, interviews on TV, 10th anniversary specials...

[@TravisGilbert]

This hits home

[@sarahcb3142]

As a content creator aka "social media" influencer yourself Curious Tangents, I wonder what your thoughts are about this? Like, do you have any ideas on how social media makes us feel special and thus gets us caught in a loop of affirmations and radicalizations?

[@tv-obscure306]

Boom

[@shoyuramenoff]

Hey, I love your channel! Keep up the well-research and thoughtful videos!

[@AUnicorn666]

Love your channel! ^-^

[@Nico-kf8wr]

I was thinking you were going to comment

[@_maxgray]

I can't help but wonder if some of the rise in conspiracy theories' popularity is related to many people's struggles to find supportive communities online or IRL. If you are searching for somewhere to belong, I can see a group of conspiracy theorists giving you that feeling of connection.

[@vlogbrothers]

Oh yeah, I imagine it's really wonderful, actually.

[@_maxgray]

@@vlogbrothers Thank you for giving Nerdfighters a place to belong!

[@andyh9382]

I wish I believed in something with as much conviction as my cousin believes in Trumpism and a “new world order”. The sense of belonging she must feel is surely immense. (Once the dust settles, and she hopefully realizes she’s on the wrong side of history, she’s still always welcome at the dinner table “so to speak”)

[@eliasalbarracin5549]

It's also part of a larger wave of dissatisfaction with the government's actions in recent years, which is evident in all sides of the political spectrum. It also doesn't help that there are a number of influencers, as Hank points out, that continue to help foster these ideas without providing a direction of action. That is why the events of Jan. 6th felt both organized by larger extremist groups that wanted it to happen and disorganized in the actual planning or goals that they wanted.

[@evawettergren7492]

@@andyh9382 As a woman I have NEVER understood other women who follow beliefs that put them in a restrictive and prohibitive worldview. Like, do they enjoy being told what to do and to not wear? It boggles my mind.

[@ThisIsReMarkable]

In before the "the market will fix that" comments. The question is, how can the market (a.k.a. the collective "us") reward expertise and 'punish' (for lack of a better word) reactionary and conspiritorial content?

[@vlogbrothers]

I don't know. The problem is that there is (at least right now) a pretty strong market for content that makes people feel like they are secret soldiers in the most important war ever to be fought. I think there are roots that we can look at...like increasing dignity, treating people like people, raising the minimum wage, and shaming people for putting their workers last. But as far as things to do on the internet...Twitter and Facebook cracking down on Trump and the related content is a good step. And then there will also just be, on average, people getting better at the internet year over year. But in the short term, I think we're in for a pretty rough ride,

[@anniezomaya151]

Something I've been doing is giving more thought to where I spend my "clicks." Suppressing the urge to click on a controversial headline, etc..

[@KyleBemmann]

@@vlogbrothers Hank, I have made a very large information pool here on KZbin using two accounts and hundreds of playlists. This information is very important, and if you were to take it seriously and promote it, the entire world would implode lol. You wouldn't believe me tho so it's like whatever.

[@alliejett]

@@anniezomaya151 my friends and I do this. If there is a terrible news story about a particularly abhorrent Congresswoman from our state, one of us will read it and report back to the others rather than drive extra traffic to those stories by forwarding the link and having all of us clicking on it.

[@Miranox2]

The only ones who say that are those trying to sell you something. Conspiratorial content such as claims that Trump is Putin's puppet? This video's audience likely believes that to be a fact, so who gets to decide what is conspiracy? In other words, who gets to be the censor? Right now it's Silicon Valley and you may be happy if you align with them, but eventually the censorship will be used against you if it isn't already. Censorship is never the answer.

[@rayazkhan9498]

"and not side-by-side. They are the same person." I love you, Hank.

[@wearebulletproof6972]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/haW8nWqMa5p6l68

[@BertieJRussell]

John on the podcast: Hank, I don't think you worry enough. Hank: Well,

[@rukbat3]

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[@wearebulletproof6972]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/haW8nWqMa5p6l68

[@liam_hurlburt]

"It's very easy to believe things that make you feel good" so. effing. true.

[@AwesomeTyme]

One of the solutions of radicalization is to emphasize critical thinking in schools from a young age. Where are your facts coming from? What makes facts trustworthy? What do I do when I'm skeptical about something? I think these are important questions and would help curb this misinformation pandemic.

[@melodysmash]

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[@o76923]

The evidence behind that is murkier than you might hope. Yes, critical thinking does help combat disinformation. Unfortunately, one of the major predictors for buying into conspiracies is a teleological bias-the need or compulsion to believe everything has an explanation. While critical thinking can protect you from conspiracy theories that don't make sense, instilling those critical thinking skills can make you more prone to accepting them in the first place because you need an explanation for a phenomenon that you can't readily produce on your own.

[@AwesomeTyme]

@@o76923 That's interesting... I will look more into that. Thanks!

[@o76923]

@@AwesomeTyme, Psychology Today ran a great series of 5 or 6 articles on conspiratorial thinking around 2018 that I strongly recommend if you're interested. It was written before covid-19 but wow does it ever explain why QAnon blew up during covid.

[@iraholden3606]

Wrong, teachings critical thinking skills is how you turn your entire next generation into radical Marxist communists

[@like_miaow]

"A society that has done a terrible job of appreciating many if not most humans" Damn that hits home

[@wearebulletproof6972]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/haW8nWqMa5p6l68

[@NajwaLaylah]

I'm not sure that's society's job.

[@like_miaow]

@@NajwaLaylah whose job do you think it should be?

[@NajwaLaylah]

@@like_miaow Anyone's who wants it; however, in practice, that is not what entire societies do. Families, sometimes. Maybe churches or groups of friends.

[@littlestbroccoli]

@@NajwaLaylah Actually some societies dedicate entire rituals to it. It may not be how ours works, but there is no rule about how societies function. That's one of the fun parts. We get to make it up

[@ehhallie]

social media truly is a double-edged sword and it's absolutely terrifying

[@chilln2009]

Yeah I think Black Mirror shows that very explicitly.

[@robertjarman3703]

There is still fault on part of those who made social media. They could have made many better decisions far earlier, like enforcing their codes of conduct much more stringently on even people wanting the highest job in the US, the presidency. Facebook could have blocked monks who tried to promote actions that led to the Rohingyan genocides in Myanmar. And public politicians could have reacted to warning signs much earlier but instead took advantage of it.

[@icarusunited]

It truly is, from mass censorship To lack of social conduct rules Can't have too much of one or the other, or it ends up breaking down.

[@Q269]

GCP Gray's "This video will make you Angry!" Video is another nice dive into this inherent problem with humanity

[@anton99413]

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[@Shrooblord]

Heheh also immediately came to mind for me. Still a relevant dive into crappy Internet discourse. The 'angry totem of The Other' analogy he makes in that vid has struck a chord for sure.

[@RisIgrec]

Things really are getting progressively scarier among independent creator-based platforms, and it’s very very concerning considering how many kids and young people soak up this stuff like a sponge. I was 12 when I started making youtube videos and had been obsessed with the platform for years prior, and it was a MUCH more innocent community back then - I am so glad I am not 12 today, when the algorithm will get you from slightly edgy memes to white supremacist content so so fast. I’ve heard people say that the solution is to basically break the algorithm so viral stuff doesn’t happen - I wonder what these platforms would be like if that was implemented.

[@jimbrookhyser]

I bet someone at Google knows exactly what that would be like. Maybe we should make it law that they tell us?

[@aryanbhuta3382]

@@jimbrookhyser Google's a black box algorithm. They give it computing power and a bunch of click and browser data and ask it to create an algorithm that maximizes watch time by suggesting certain videos to certain people. No human engineer created some sort of diabolical master codex to radicalize people in the name of corporate profits; it was the unfeeling act of a computer program tasked with writing another computer program, using cold, hard data and with no emotion, consciousness, or morality to speak of. The scary thing is that nobody knows exactly how the algorithm works, what values or hidden ones and zeros are attached to each video and sent to each user's feed. They can get a general idea, but the overarching algorithm constantly adapts to new data that is fed into it every time somebody clicks, presses play, comments, likes, or dislikes. The machines are running the machines; the inmates run the asylum of bound employees.

[@albertjackinson]

There's a difference between a social media influencer and what you, John, and other people do. You're not an influencer. You're a teacher. People like you, Tom Scott, Isaac Arthur, Derek on Veritasium...don't influence people's behavior--or at least, that's not the main thrust of it all. The main thrust is not influencing people, but teaching and inspiriring them. And you do a phenomenal job with that.

[@phoenixliv]

I think the Vlog bros have influenced me to imagine people complexly. And As much as I can I DFTBA!

[@LeahandLevi]

"creators don't create for money, they create for affirmation".... oooff man that one hit me

[@OmegaGamer1989]

I love Hank, but he should speak for himself. I know plenty of creators (myself included) who create for money. For us, it boils down to "If I can make a reasonable living doing something I at least somewhat enjoy, or I can make the same amount of money doing a 9-5 job I hate, Im gonna take the former." so yeah, its definitely about the money.

[@supernova622]

Always exciting to see creators I love engaging with other creators I love 🥰

[@TheBighatter]

You can't possibly believe this channel would exist if it didn't provide the compensation and associated ancillary revenue streams.

[@TheMagicOwL127]

@@TheBighatter for this channel and old channels in general that's not true. for the new gen i think it is.

[@TheBighatter]

@@TheMagicOwL127 The Green brothers, as much as I like some of their content, have built a mini-empire off YT exposure. Everything they've accomplished, professionally and financially, is due to YT notoriety. They would never (could never) create this kind of regular content without that income.

[@oldbooksatmidnight8118]

This video came with closed captions! Yay!

[@vlogbrothers]

We're getting better at this! It's just hard because often we have so little turnaround time.

[@WintaAssefa]

@@vlogbrothers understandable, really

[@FairMiles]

@@vlogbrothers And have you already found out a way we can contribute with subtitles in other languages (after YT have shot its own tool)?

[@chocolatereigns]

"People like the stuff I share! People APPRECIATE me sharing this stuff! This is information people want!" -my anti-vaxx mother who spends her life in a Facebook echo chamber

[@NajwaLaylah]

More confidence in some things than I'll ever have or even stop to think about.

[@kaygee301]

"It's extremely hard to abandon ideas that you are appreciated and loved for."

[@NajwaLaylah]

If the love and appreciation you get change when you change your ideas, it wasn't ever you that was loved. Remember that.

[@KooblayKhan]

That was super enlightening. Thank you for sharing. I will think more on this.

[@MyNamesChai]

Hank, i've watched you guys for like 10 years, you're one of my early inspirations for making videos, you still make some of the most thoughtful and meaningful videos to me, and yet, here we are, 10 years on, and you and John still haven't adopted me? What gives man?

[@vicyoung2196]

Same.

[@Siriuslyyy]

Thank you! Asking the important questions

[@griffins-c4892]

Summing a topic like this into four minutes is impressive

[@crazykenna]

When you start to interpret everything that happens as evidence of a predetermined outcome, you gotta call your dad because you’re in a cult.

[@southernmarksman]

I love a lot of things about this channel, and one of them is the comments section. You people restore my faith in humanity - you seem reasonable! Reasonable doesn’t sell, but I’m always glad to know it’s still out there. Thanks Hank & John for creating a space for this community. It rocks.

[@rachaeld.510]

“social media is just media now.”

[@emilymartin5418]

That says something big in a very few words, I read it in the description and had to stop to think about it for a while.

[@icarusunited]

Indeed. They have mimicked something like the news in an uncharacterizable way that they shouls be doing. From something where yh shows a few memes, send your current life updates, and some pictures. To actually using it to get a job, employers looking for social media to see how you are. Political Mobbing, and so on

[@ColumineMiette]

I like memes, but Facebook has become (at least my feed.) People sharing memes and not people actually talking like we used to.

[@PitLord777]

"Always has been."

[@veggiet2009]

"it's true of them, and it's true of me" that is a statement that needs to be said more

[@MetaFish42]

Whenever I hear that a kid wants to be a KZbinr it makes me feel worried and sad but I have no idea what to do about it because like, of course they do!

[@sabashahin_]

Very important

[@autumnbrookesings]

Everything right now is scary, and social media is one of those things. In many ways, it has made this problem of radicalization worse. In ways, it has also kept me sane through communication and sharing of ideas and resources. There’s not much a point to this comment, mostly just “yikes.” Thankful to those of us using our platform on the Internet for good, including so many in this community.

[@fe3bal]

A short but very important message. More people need to talk about this.

[@katherinemeek6462]

Usually art doesn’t make much money/isn’t considered to be an attractive career, so it’s really just the people who really love it who go into it. You’re completely right with the radicalization, especially with recently, its people who feel like they don’t matter and they find themselves in a strong opinion that just happens to hurt others.

[@puppypuppy14]

That’s a good point about how art isn’t historically a career that people are willing to take their chances with. Truly, the bar for entry into content creation has never been lower. Literally everyone can post on their social media and that content will reach likely a hundred or more people. But it’s when there’s extravagance or controversy that people start pouring to view the content by the thousands or even millions. Humans just weren’t made to interact like we do now and we just don’t know what we’re dealing with yet and hopefully we figure it out!

[@alisonhope1]

I would like everyone to listen to the Green brothers,they make so much sense

[@auracle6184]

In a way, I think Hank's point is that this perspective can very easily be dangerous. Nobody is right all the time, the most important thing is for people to think as well as listen, to everyone they listen to.

[@Malinda]

Arrrrgggghhhh this yes

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Social media influencer? I think social media teacher is more fitting. You and John enlighten us with your thoughts and knowledge. Crash Course have helped us get through school

[@phredshunkie3487]

Crash also helps me to be informed. I am the same age as the Green brothers, and I love binge-watching Crash Course and Sci Show. 😁

[@angelalott2383]

Totally agree. Everyone else are social media influencers and John and Hank are social media teachers.

[@martyknox]

It's both. Like Hank said, influence isn't referring to what they produce (educational content) but is more of a byproduct of status. Anyone with a sizeable following has 'market influence' and this is where the term comes from. This channel is sitting at 3M+ subscribers and could easily use this platform to sell/promote products or ideas to their audience and make a strong impact.

[@RachelSteiner]

Actually you are onto something - all influencers are actually teachers, but what are others teaching? Consumerism, political extremism, buy in to the attention economy etc. That could be a good way of thinking about channels you watch - what am I meant to be learning from this teacher? Is it valid, healthy, informed, necessary?

[@mariamaj4585]

I’m so glad you guys are influencers , thank you for your content :,)

[@WintaAssefa]

For realll

[@unknownfactor6489]

Society sucks at making people feel valued

[@ThatOneScienceGuy]

A guy on TikTok said that one avenue of recruitment into the alt right is war games like Call of Duty. You might play COD or watch COD content and then videos start getting recommended to you that steer you in the direction of alt right content. It might start with Hillary Clinton jokes but go further and further. I will say that I used to play COD and the people with mics were routinely spewing anti gay, anti democrat, racist right wing vitriol most of the time.

[@Rosalie_Jansen]

Has anyone seen The Social Dilemma? I watched it a few days ago and it still haunts me.

[@zero-pl3tt]

I liked the discussion they were having, but the fictional parts always threw me off, would've preferred it if it was just the documentary.

[@NajwaLaylah]

No. Is it fiction?

[@LogicalWaste]

I just say Content Creator, or Entertainer.

[@Shrooblord]

I've only ever said 'influencer' to mean _those_ kind of KZbinrs. You know the type..

[@carterstaley]

Not here to be cynical but I listened to an interview with the director of the social dilemma and he pointed out how the term “content” reduces the art made by people to just the stuff that fills the space between ads. I like simply “creator” better. Entertainers good too

[@teethompson7756]

Life is full of influencers. Thank you for being a positive one. 📚❤

[@thecuriositas385]

On the flip side of this coin can we talk about just for a sec the good things influencer culture has done too? Charity donations, attention being brought to various topics and peoples that others wise would've gone overlooked etc? There is so much bad, but the good is there too and deserves at least a mention.

[@amasterofone]

I just finished A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor and this feels like perfect timing.

[@Symphing12]

I think you're right. The other aspect of this is that the Internet has allowed us to have more echo chambers where radicalization runs amok.

[@TRayTV]

Our conclusions influence our subsequent perceptions.

[@GreatBigBore]

“If you feel like you’re one of the only people in the world who understands [X]...” Embarrassing as hell to admit, bit you’re right. Thanks for being you, Hank ❤️

[@theblankettruth]

I completely agree, this happen in mainstream media and online. There are issues we need to consider and be concerned with individuals. The key issue is knowing what that is and watching a few networks or a handful of individuals on the internet won't cut it. We have a responsibility as individuals and citizens the research what we hear and see. Likewise, we must ensure we conduct our due diligence in assess the accuracy of the information. A good deal of news now is opinion and commentary which is not necessary fact. The facts matter every thing else is subject to interpretation. We all need to be better, myself included. Be smart, have the facts, then you can change the world!

[@catherinesmart2961]

John and Hank, thanks for creating a community where I feel valued for being exactly who I am.

[@ThatRedHead717]

I feel like I need to rewatch that at .75 speed to really understand it. High quality content. Thank you hank

[@daishoryujin95]

The superior term is "internet person".

[@leemartinez8677]

!!

[@Shrooblord]

Superior Fish Person?

[@NajwaLaylah]

@@Shrooblord We are all in the clade of fish, along with all other vertebrates.

[@lefishyfish]

I can't help but think of A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor! I'm 3/4 of the way done with it and there have been several instances which comment on these same ideas and issues! I love when you can see someone's consistency in thought across multiple spaces, and appreciate that Hank takes the time to talk about it here as well as more artfully in his book! brb just fangirling

[@bridges6648]

Oh hey the science TikTok guy has a KZbin channel! I wonder who John is 🤔🤔🤔

[@padawan1769]

the guy who makes those YA novels that everyone seems to love

[@anitaneethling2500]

Also his brother :)

[@user-rr2ep3gt5p]

Wait til you find out about Dave 😂

[@tempestofthought]

This is honestly very insightful, though I feel I was aware of this problem I feel I have a much better understanding of it now. Also, the content you create is of value to me, for what it's worth.

[@DariaHupov]

It always suprises me how Hank and John manage to put into cohesive words my spiraling existential thoughts. Thank you for making sense of the world!

[@talytasbarcelos]

This theme omg this is so important and confusing and i'm so lost. thank you for all, John

[@mariewikiwaka3851]

Alright. Lemme watch that three more times to figure out exactly how painfully accurate it is.

[@kvstar100]

Wow, thank you so much for making this video, this is excellent food for thought.

[@NaiveDJack]

Videos that explore this level of thought generally rank in the 45min to 2h so now I'm going to lie down and think really hard. ...or just click on the next video WHAT HAVE I BECOME

[@joshuaadamstithakayoutubel2490]

My channel won't help. Or will it?

[@Moks89]

@@joshuaadamstithakayoutubel2490 No, it won't.

[@joshuaadamstithakayoutubel2490]

@@Moks89 What about it

[@TreyaTheKobold]

friendly reminder that extreme right-wingers gave us the KKK and extreme left-wingers gave us weekends.

[@michelanascimento8196]

My english teacher just gave as a study about the influence of influencers and told us to to find our own study on the topic can I use thisssssss

[@CinnamonToast]

haha this isn't a study, just Hank's thoughts, but if you use your school's library database, proquest, or google scholar you can probably find some articles :)

[@izzya8132]

using an influencer's content to influence your study on the influence of influencers is really meta

[@andymanact1]

I would avoid using this as your study. This would be a great primary source for the perspective of someone that is perceived as an "influencer" and who has ridden this wave of change for awhile. This might inform where you go with your paper such as the role of influencers and influencer culture in the storming of the US capital or the concept of using extremes to draw attention, but I wouldn't write what I'm assuming is a research paper based solely on the opinion of one man. Best of luck on your paper!

[@SageGarlandSingerSongwriter]

This isn't a study, but maybe you could ask Hank and John if they read any studies that brought them to these beliefs or helped them make the video.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

You could ask your teacher to clarify what they meant, but usually when people say "study" like that they mean something in a peer reviewed academic journal about a piece of original research. Your teacher or a school librarian should be able to help you with where to look for those. A lot of academic journals have paywalls but a lot of schools have bought subsciptions to them so you can access them using an academic login or through your school library. Your school library might recommend a tool you can use for searching for academic papers. You might just have to use Google Scholar, although that recommends mostly older papers so I don't think it would be very useful for this topic. If you're writing an essay, I think it could be legitimate to quote Hank. There are academic contexts where it is okay and good to quote youtube videos. But if you've just been told to "find a study", this wouldn't count.

[@murdockscott]

Bravo. Well considered.

[@Masterfrogg]

I want Hank to make a series on JUST this subject.

[@sciencenonfiction4109]

I am so glad you mentioned the Qult!

[@lucymoon]

Brilliant video, thank you for sharing Hank

[@chesh1rek1tten]

I've unsubscribed so many channels because they became more and more extreme. And started only subscribing to wholesome content. (Well, and news).. and man I feel so much better

[@friedallie]

You should talk to Jen Golbeck! She's a PhD expert on these communities and also has seven dogs @TheGoldenRatio4

[@bgardunia]

Fame based economics leads to strange places. So does running so much of our internet economy based on ad revenue.

[@WintaAssefa]

Hank: you and John have been providing value to me for the past 10 years or so. So just, thank you really. Love from a fellow Ethiopian so-called KZbinr, -w

[@CombustibleJimmy]

Great video Hank! Insightful and poignant as usual delivered with humility. Love your work.

[@DerDarthenFritzster]

I have dozens of students that say that they want to be a KZbinr when they grow up because they think they only have to work five minutes a day.

[@gryff014]

I have watched a lot of your content and videos, all of it excellent. This particular 4 minutes was transcendent and encapsulates an entire generation and culture. I wonder what this era will be called by future us?

[@katharinegalloway]

The best part of 2020 was hank being tik tok influencer, so now I can be a nerd fighter without getting made fun of😎

[@danielclyde7777]

“It’s about affirmation” - that’s a sentiment I’ve been trying to articulate for a while, so thank you for putting it into succinct terms. It is a bit scary that radical ideas and hotter political takes are often the most rewarded both monetarily and popularly.

[@CiakPlz]

Insight > incite. Thank you. Great take.

[@jaelym]

i could talk about this topic for hours, i even did a project on how social media impacts our reality for one of my classes. hank PLEASE make more videos about this, it's so important!

[@shotinsarajevo]

Oh man, you should write a book about this or something

[@angelapotter8084]

This is the kind of vlog brothers video that I need to ponder on and then rewatch again three times so that I can really digest the meaning of it.

[@dotdot3504]

I had to watch this twice cause the first time I watched this, I stared at the furby and had war flashbacks and blanked out for the rest of the video

[@NajwaLaylah]

One more, Dot... and you'd be Anne Ellipse.

[@dotdot3504]

@@NajwaLaylah I laughed at this way harder than I probably should have

[@faddawarriortv]

Way to go!

[@LiquorWithJazz]

"An arms race of radicalization." Nailed it.

[@WintaAssefa]

I know right?!

[@FaithEvolving]

my guy has a way with words

[@WintaAssefa]

@@FaithEvolving yewp!

[@emilymartin5418]

+

[@zacharytaylor190]

That "cabal of child murders" hit me hard. I have a close personal relationship with a person who has taken most if the qanon stuff at face value. To be very clear, I never once thought of them as stupid, but simply misinformed. Unfortunately confirmation bias is unyielding in strength.

[@erikoftheinternet]

Influencers and Insurrectionists sounds like the name for a fun tabletop RPG

[@estrellacasias]

Okay but yall do influence me to be a better person, everything you create and are affiliated with make me a better more cultured and educated person so I am pretty happy calling yall influences.

[@untappedinkwell]

Well said. Nerdfighteria, please don't forget the self care!

[@johnlanning1893]

Thank you for making this video. I'm a student studying some of these strange new media/consumer/creator relationships. I'd love to see a much longer video on the subject!

[@francesca.pellegrino]

Is it really all about affirmation and status? For some people, maybe. I find it difficult to believe that everyone’s motivations can be distilled completely into affirmation and status.

[@porschejones6910]

It's almost like an economic or social system where a lot of people compete with each other for basic necessities (like, a feeling of importance) will inevitably reward qualities other than talent and ability. It's almost like such a system will ensure that the people working in any given field will be mostly people who had social advantages and privilege getting started and not people who are the most talented. It's almost like capitalism ... is bad.

[@a1t3rmusic]

yep

[@Jesse__H]

I made this comment once before but I feel passionate about it so I'm saying it again: I can't recommend enough a video called "In Search of a Flat Earth" by a channel called Folding Ideas. The flat earth topic is only a framing device - the thrust of the video is about how people become radicalized in these 'new modern' ways, and how and why it's even possible that so many ostensibly sane adults can come to believe so strongly in things that are manafestly provably false. The video really helped me understand and put language to the parts of our zeitgeist that I've struggled with over the last half decade or so.

[@vlogbrothers]

I've watched that video at least twice.

[@Jesse__H]

@@vlogbrothers haha me too! I've even saved certain timestamps for future reference 😊

[@hexeddecimals]

I reread AART recently and I can see you've been thinking about this for a long time. The prophetic nature of the book at times is spooky

[@ToboCastit]

Hank, have you seen The Social Dilemma? They talk about this same thing.

[@Infernoblade1010]

Good morning Hank!

[@Beryllahawk]

I feel like this was becoming more and more obvious back when y'all talked about being "addicted to outrage" (I am bad at the internet and can't find the video but i'm pretty sure it was Hank that said it) And it's damned scary. Especially feeling that weight of responsibility, that even me - some humble 40+ old lady sitting around caring for a disabled husband and trying like hell to just survive - even me, I'm an influencer, I'm capable of affecting the direction of the flood, at least a little. What's just as scary for me about that is the consequences of doing nothing at all. Like... some folks seemed to think it was all just a big prank? Some folks seemed to just sit back and silently agree? By the time I was hearing about it, it felt like everyone I am friends with was having a fit. But it also felt like my friends, and the kinds of folks I usually hear from out on the internet, were very much in the minority for hours and hours. And a lot of people felt that anyone who was "ignoring" the events - by not retweeting, or not commenting, or whatever else - those silent presences were de facto in support of what was going on. Which made me think really hard about how DIFFERENT things are now. I can remember (rather vaguely, as I was a teen and not paying attention) when people were yelling about Bill Clinton and all the impeachment stuff surrounding his antics. It took weeks and weeks for anybody to firmly decide which side they were REALLY on... And now, this? This feels like we're all of us sitting in a hot seat of some kind, where when something happens, there's a weird kind of pressure to react, REACT ALREADY, don't you have an opinion?!? And so we're pushed towards making snap judgments, pushed towards doing What Feels Right, pushed towards joining the louder side of the crowd so we can fit in, fade back, not stand out in a way that makes us uncomfortable. It's not just the coup attempt, it's so much more than that. And now maybe even the little people DO make that much difference... terrifying.

[@marcodaniel5446]

Terrifying indeed

[@georgesos]

Well said!(as usual).

[@Amber-24-5]

I feel like this type of very toxic radicalization only really happens when people are radicalizing to the far right. When people radicalize to the far-left it only really comes from an interest in politics or a feeling of distress from the current system, Like I radicalized to the far left when I was feeling major stress from the thought of working a 9 to 5 job and seeing my older brother stressing due to not being able to find an affordable apartment. When people radicalize to the far right it usually comes from a place of fear like was said in the video.

[@benefarious314]

That’s because being far from center says nothing about the quality of those beliefs or policies. What is considered “radical” changes over time. The origin of the word “radical” is to get to the root of something. As a leftist, I try to be radical, working with others to change systems and affect change at the root.

[@stephaniehight2771]

No the radicalization at both ends of the political spectrum are equally dangerous. And statements like you have made increase the negative polarization by promoting the notion that "Our side is reasonable and their side is wrong and dangerous."

[@sentjojo]

Hank is in a constant way existential crisis and will always follow the narrative in a bid to be accepted and praised by the mainstream

[@miriam4235]

I think broadcaster is a better title. People who use KZbin are just using a different medium to broadcast on than the traditional tv or radio.

[@EnigmaticLucas]

Traditional media has a radicalization problem too. A lot of people (especially, but not exclusively, older people) have been radicalized by Fox News.