Science Study: Social Media use causes violence

[PtldPlatypus]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html

Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz, researchers at the University of Warwick, scrutinized every anti-refugee attack in Germany, 3,335 in all, over a two-year span. In each, they analyzed the local community by any variable that seemed relevant. Wealth. Demographics. Support for far-right politics. Newspaper sales. Number of refugees. History of hate crime. Number of protests.

One thing stuck out. Towns where Facebook use was higher than average, like Altena, reliably experienced more attacks on refugees. That held true in virtually any sort of community — big city or small town; affluent or struggling; liberal haven or far-right stronghold — suggesting that the link applies universally.

Their reams of data converged on a breathtaking statistic: Wherever per-person Facebook use rose to one standard deviation above the national average, attacks on refugees increased by about 50 percent.

Nationwide, the researchers estimated in an interview, this effect drove one-tenth of all anti-refugee violence.

The uptick in violence did not correlate with general web use or other related factors; this was not about the internet as an open platform for mobilization or communication. It was particular to Facebook.
​

Really fascinating look at how only listening to voices that are saying the same things you already think can completely distort your perception of reality. Honestly, makes me glad for all you crazy libs in here.

 

[yankeesince59]

...I think it's pretty safe to say that among other things, social media also has a lot to do with how some people vote, especially the ones who are riding the fence...part of the Russian strategy. Robotic tweets, posts, blogs, etc., can logically have an effect on things.

...social media in some forms, is the devil.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Social media + vodka + red bull =

 

[Lanny]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html

Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz, researchers at the University of Warwick, scrutinized every anti-refugee attack in Germany, 3,335 in all, over a two-year span. In each, they analyzed the local community by any variable that seemed relevant. Wealth. Demographics. Support for far-right politics. Newspaper sales. Number of refugees. History of hate crime. Number of protests.

One thing stuck out. Towns where Facebook use was higher than average, like Altena, reliably experienced more attacks on refugees. That held true in virtually any sort of community — big city or small town; affluent or struggling; liberal haven or far-right stronghold — suggesting that the link applies universally.

Their reams of data converged on a breathtaking statistic: Wherever per-person Facebook use rose to one standard deviation above the national average, attacks on refugees increased by about 50 percent.

Nationwide, the researchers estimated in an interview, this effect drove one-tenth of all anti-refugee violence.

The uptick in violence did not correlate with general web use or other related factors; this was not about the internet as an open platform for mobilization or communication. It was particular to Facebook.
​

Really fascinating look at how only listening to voices that are saying the same things you already think can completely distort your perception of reality. Honestly, makes me glad for all you crazy libs in here.

Are you saying that us Liberals should be more like Duncan Hunter, Christopher Collins, Manifort and Cohen?