• CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    18 days ago

    Exactly. These people are probably producing lots and lots of mini-mes. Cons may rebrand out of being “maga” into something else, just like they tried to make “tea party” a thing, but it is the same old shit in a different box - the oligarchs will whip up division - the old favorite is of course along racial lines, but lately, there has been a big helping of anti-trans rhetoric, and also a huge addition of inter-generational conflict, and I see lots of the so-called “left” buying into that, and… holy shit is that stupid. But I digress. Anyway, the oligarchs whip up this division, get a lot of idiots voting for Republicans so they can “hurt the right people” or lots of tankie type morons sitting out or lodging protest votes for the unelectable because “gerontocracy” or whatever the fuck, and then, of course, get lots of policies that funnel more money and power upwards…

    People keep thinking the younger generations will save us and I want to believe it, but just don’t see the evidence. If anything, I see them getting sucked into a vortex of red-pill bullshit on the various platforms at very impressionable ages and with very little life experience or wisdom to counter it. At least when boomers or gen-xers or older Gen Y were/are getting exposed to things like this as well as Faux, they had experience prior to encountering it…

    I definitely think many have even less media literacy and less critical thinking skills than prior generations, since conservatives have been doing everything possible to chip away at anything like that in public schools. Texas Republicans even had opposition to critical thinking in their platform…

    • Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      18 days ago

      As a Gen Z who has gone to great lengths to ensure I have the education needed to engage with these issues honestly, and who is surrounded by colleagues of a similar level of understanding in my state (California). I heavily dispute your statement.

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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        18 days ago

        That’s great, but that’s anecdotal. Please show me how education has improved in the areas of critical thinking and media literacy in the aggregate. I’d love to be wrong about this.

        • Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          18 days ago

          I probably would be unable to present anything substantial due to the lack of data available under both Trump administration’s Department of Education, and the lack of relevant census data.

          The point I’m trying to make is describing us as a monolith of AI slop consumers and social media addicts doesn’t make your calls for change any more heard, nor is an accurate portrayal for how we think for ourselves.