So what’s going on here, most likely, is that the intake of new users is declining as opposed to people specifically being driven off the platform (as some users allege).

The difference, one would assume, is that on the whole, Reddit’s political biases influence more what is not shown (much like lemmy.ml banning people for any criticism of Russia, China, or North Korea, or the echo chamber in hexbear), whereas Lemmy’s tankie issue also manifests as people actively sea-lioning (e.g. Cowbee) and (especially from hexbear) overt trolling, which shows up more in people’s faces. Both are issues, neither are good.

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[–] PorkrollPosadist@hexbear.net 29 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The thing is, they don't think they're lying. They think that if we were telling them the truth, this information would inevitably permeate the highest echelons of institutional media and academia. They operate under an epistemological framework where these institutions are cornerstone of reality, and any fact or historical occurrence they haven't acknowledged is suspect.

The idea that powerful ideologues of American imperialism like Alan Dershowitz and Larry Summers can wield their high positions at an institution like Harvard University to skew the trajectory of academics doesn't even enter their minds. They barely grasp the idea that there's a reason why people like Jeff Bezos would buy the Washington Post.

[–] RedSturgeon@hexbear.net 13 points 1 day ago

The need for external validation, like from an established institution, is probably the most difficult thing I've had to try to overcome myself, in order to move my own views further to the left.

Every step I've taken is met with accusations of there being hidden personal motives, even though I make my interest and biases transparent.

Even when they can't find a personal interest in my moves, like when I was talking to an Italian friend about how he should organize with his locals, who are making an effort to make things better, and was simply giving him some tips to improve his own life, he just tells me literally: "I feel like you tell people this stuff to self validate yourself and do it to feel comfort."

It's incredibly frustrating and makes me want to lash out in anger, but I can't afford to do such things or the accusations of mental illness and hysteria start piling in. Liberals have even started telling me that caring for Gazans is actually a sign of me being mentally ill, overactive empathy they say.