This rise in anti-intellectualism appears to correlate with the rise of the internet.
Perhaps there was always a large segment of the population this gleefully ignorant of facts, but before the internet there were gatekeepers…
This rise in anti-intellectualism appears to correlate with the rise of the internet.
Perhaps there was always a large segment of the population this gleefully ignorant of facts, but before the internet there were gatekeepers of information who ensured that the information being put out to the masses was credible and grounded in reality.
The internet killed the gatekeepers. Now any kook can peddle misinformation and present themselves as an authority in topics they have no real training in or deep understanding of. Worse yet, some of these “thought leaders” purposefully peddle misinformation to capture eyeballs and monetize them.
Never before has it been easier for a person to reside in their own bubble of delusion. They are free to consume a steady diet of fact-free news, safe from any troublesome facts that threaten their worldview. Before you know it, left is right, up is down and a smarmy reality TV host running sham businesses is within striking distance of the presidency.
The internet has weaponized ignorance and I’m not sure what can be done to defend ourselves against it.