And it's scary how effective it seems to be, scary that an internet-based "reality" can appear more trustworthy that your real life...

It seems the more people spend online the more they trust online picture whatever it is (for most people it's an algorithmically generated feed) and less pay attention to what they can see in person. Smartphone addition is harmful in so many ways.

I have a friend that is a "Bernie Bro." Basically, everyone sucks; right, left, etc.

He constantly sends me hate-porn videos; much of it obvious fakes; AI or not (It's been going on far longer than AI tools).

People get hooked on anger. It's -literally- an addiction, and they behave like addicts; seeking out the best "hate dealers," selling the "best" anger-inducing content, and savagely attacking anyone that questions the stuff.

I learned to just ignore most of what he sends me. I've asked him not to send it, and he's ignored it (like an addict).

I have friends that are into the far-right and far-left cesspits, too. It's pretty sobering.

What was it that Bill Burroughs said about heroin?

> "Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy."

You could replace "junk" with "hate," and it would apply.

In the past I think people were equally wrong when assuming their real life was accurately similar to average for the entire society they lived in and not a regional and perhaps class based bubble. I think there was a short period when amateur media was correcting more misconception than adding to it.

That's because Internet and apps has largely cut communities. People would rather stay at home and doomscroll tiktok videos, than meet their neighbors at the library and see that they are actually not scary at all