Why Do People Get So Crazy on Political Forums, According to AI?

[LevelUP]

So I asked AI (GPT-3) why people get so crazy on message board forums over politics.

The output below is unique content generated by the AI.

Why Do People Get So Crazy on Political Forums, According to AI?

So why is it that people on forums can't get along? Is it because they're all anonymous? Is it because they're all passionate about their beliefs? Or is it because they're all just a little bit crazy?

It could be all of those things, but one thing is for sure: when people get together to discuss politics on message boards, things can get pretty heated pretty quickly. And more often than not, it's the mean and crazy people who seem to dominate the conversation.

If you've ever ventured into the political forums on sites like Reddit or 4chan, then you know what I'm talking about. It's like walking into a lion's den – you're likely to get mauled if you're not careful.

So why do these forums attract so many mean and crazy people? Well, there are a few reasons.

First of all, anonymity breeds contempt. When people can't see your face, they're more likely to say things that they wouldn't say in person. They're also more likely to attack you personally, since they don't have to worry about the consequences of their words.

Second, passion leads to extremism. When people are passionate about their beliefs, they're more likely to go to extremes to defend them. This can lead some people to use dishonest tactics to win a conversation.

And finally, crazy attracts crazy. The more crazy people there are in a forum, the more likely it is to attract even more crazy people. It's like a self-perpetuating cycle that can be hard to break out of.

So what can be done about all this meanness and craziness?

Well, not much, unfortunately. As long as there are anonymous forums, there will always be a place for the mean and crazy people to congregate. And as long as there are passionate people in the world, there will always be extremism.

All we can do is try to avoid these forums when we can and not take anything said on them too seriously. After all, it's just a bunch of anonymous strangers yelling at each other – it's not worth getting worked up over.

Is the AI right?

[inf]

There is no one answer to this question.
While the reasons the AI lists are certainly factors in why political forums can be so heated, there are likely many other reasons as well. It is difficult to say definitively why people act differently online than they do in person, but it is safe to say that the anonymity of the internet allows people to say things they wouldn't normally say and to act in ways they wouldn't normally act. This can lead to a lot of hostility and name-calling, as people feel they can say whatever they want without consequence. Additionally, people are often more passionate about their political beliefs than they are about other topics, which can lead to heated arguments and name-calling as well. Finally, as the AI mentions, crazy attracts crazy. Once a few people start acting out, it can snowball and attract even more people who are looking for a fight. In short, there are many reasons why political forums can be so crazy and so difficult to have a rational conversation.

However, it is also worth noting that not all forums are dominated by mean and crazy people. There are some forums where respectful and civil discussion is the norm. It is possible that the reason why some forums are more civil than others is because the people who frequent those forums have made a conscious decision to be respectful and civil.

In the end, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they want to participate in a forum that is dominated by mean and crazy people. If someone does not want to deal with that type of environment, then they should avoid those forums. However, if someone is willing to put up with the occasional mean or crazy person, then they may find that forums can be a great place to discuss politics and learn about different viewpoints.

Also this response was also written by AI.

[rachel83az]

I saw a thing recently that said that, on average, people aren't any meaner online than they are offline. If someone is a jerk online, they're probably more likely to be the type to be jerks to baristas, cut people off, or to get violent with someone who is supporting the "wrong" team (political, sports, etc.). It's just that you're less likely to see this stuff IRL because these people are a minority. You might not have many points during the day where you'll actually cross paths with these people while they've got an opportunity to display this kind of behavior.

Online, though, people tend to congregate in a small number of spaces. And on social media especially, the algorithm tends to push people who are "controversial" or who are "popular" (it can't always tell the difference). So, you wind up feeling like, say, 90% of people online are terrible, with 10% being decent, and that 10% of people IRL are terrible, with 90% of them being decent. But the reality is that the online/offline stats are pretty close to identical. It simply doesn't feel that way.

[Kire]

In the USA, we have slowly removed consequences of bad behavior and now we have more bad behavior.