Are a Few People Ruining the Internet For the Rest of Us?

[gargamon]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/13/are-a-few-people-ruining-the-internet-for-the-rest-of-us

A small fraction of hyperactive social media users generates the vast majority of toxic online content, according to research by New York University psychology professor Jay Van Bavel and colleagues Claire Robertson and Kareena del Rosario. The study found that 10% of users produce roughly 97% of political tweets, while just 0.1% of users share 80% of fake news.

Twelve accounts known as the "disinformation dozen" created most vaccine misinformation on Facebook during the pandemic, the research found. In experiments, researchers paid participants to unfollow divisive political accounts on X. After one month, participants reported 23% less animosity toward other political groups. Nearly half declined to refollow hostile accounts after the study ended, and those maintaining healthier newsfeeds reported reduced animosity 11 months later. The research describes social media as a "funhouse mirror" that amplifies extreme voices while muting moderate perspectives.

 

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Guilty easily found on AN. Most of them change their names regularly. 

[Quentin Zen]

4 minutes ago, gargamon said:

The study found that 10% of users produce roughly 97% of political tweets, while just 0.1% of users share 80% of fake news.

My study has found that 87% of stats regarding 97% of tweets have a 10% chance of being real, which 0.1% of users believe 80% of fake news that is actually real.  

[captain_shane]

Here's why the internet sucks now. You can thank the "smart" phone that allows any two digit iq individual to spout their opinions with complete confidence.

[novacova]

The internet is full of hogwash. It’s your life, believe as you wish.

[impulse]

39 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Twelve accounts known as the "disinformation dozen" created most vaccine misinformation on Facebook during the pandemic,

 

Sadly, they were probably right.

 

[Photoguy21]

Yes they are.. You always get these type of people in every walk of life. We can avoid or just ignore them which is the best way to handle them.

[BLMFem]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Sadly, they were probably right.

 

Sadly, some actually believe that.

[Will B Good]

 

 

Surge in measles cases throughout the US and the EU......must be some new toxin on both continents rearing its head......certainly not some form of contagious virus that's for sure.....ridiculous idea.

[Will B Good]

Are a Few People Ruining Asean Now For the Rest of Us?

[Magictoad]

I don't think they are "ruining it". They are telling lies but we have always known liars since we were children.  But we educate ourselves too ignore them and more importantly; when necessary we we challenge them. That is why I always challenge the anti vax liars on this forum because some lies like racism are dangerous. The anti-vax conspiracy nutters are evil because they damage children by denying them modern medicine. 

[freedomnow]

5 hours ago, gargamon said:

A small fraction of hyperactive social media users generates the vast majority of toxic online content

You.

[khunJam]

27 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

Sadly, some actually believe that.

You believe everything you read on the internet and see on the tv news, I know because you repeat everything they tell you.

[StandardIssue]

6 hours ago, novacova said:

The internet is full of hogwash. It’s your life, believe as you wish.

Technically speaking "the internet" does not contain anything. It is simply a data network. It does not contain anything. It simply transmits it.

Where all content comes from are millions of servers mostly in huge data center run theses days by the major players such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and the like.

 

Being in the business since 1997 one learns it is the content held on millions of web servers, huge databases, email systems, data warehouse storage etc which is "served up" to consumers.  This AN forum is actually a pretty simple piece of software backed by a database. I've put up many such bulletin boards in my day.

[Rimmer]

An unattributed post also in contravention of fair use rule has been removed

[impulse]

1 hour ago, BLMFem said:

Sadly, some actually believe that.

 

I suppose you still believe in "2 weeks to flatten the curve" and "Get the vaccine and you can't infect grandma", and "There is no evidence of side effects", and "If you get the vaccine, you won't get Covid"? 

 

All of those statements (and many others) have been proven false.  But if anyone claimed they were false, that was called "misinformation," and they were squelched and deplatformed.

 

[Negita43]

No worries AI will save you from the lies   or will it perpetuate them?

[TedG]

8 hours ago, captain_shane said:

Here's why the internet sucks now. You can thank the "smart" phone that allows any two digit iq individual to spout their opinions with complete confidence.

Yes, giving people a method of free expression is awful.

[captain_shane]

2 minutes ago, TedG said:

Yes, giving people a method of free expression is awful.

Yeah it is when they don't have the education or perspective but speak with authority.

[TedG]

1 minute ago, captain_shane said:

Yeah it is when they don't have the education or perspective but speak with authority.

So what?  

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, gargamon said:

Twelve accounts known as the "disinformation dozen" created most vaccine misinformation on Facebook during the pandemic

I assume you mean they posted COVID vaccines are worthless and maybe dangerous.

Along with masks, social distancing and lockdowns also being useless.

 

In which case they were probably correct, and it wasn't disinformation.

[KhunLA]

9 hours ago, gargamon said:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/13/are-a-few-people-ruining-the-internet-for-the-rest-of-us

A small fraction of hyperactive social media users generates the vast majority of toxic online content, according to research by New York University psychology professor Jay Van Bavel and colleagues Claire Robertson and Kareena del Rosario. The study found that 10% of users produce roughly 97% of political tweets, while just 0.1% of users share 80% of fake news.

Twelve accounts known as the "disinformation dozen" created most vaccine misinformation on Facebook during the pandemic, the research found. In experiments, researchers paid participants to unfollow divisive political accounts on X. After one month, participants reported 23% less animosity toward other political groups. Nearly half declined to refollow hostile accounts after the study ended, and those maintaining healthier newsfeeds reported reduced animosity 11 months later. The research describes social media as a "funhouse mirror" that amplifies extreme voices while muting moderate perspectives.

 

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Guilty easily found on AN. Most of them change their names regularly. 

I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be one of the people pointing out or complaining about other people ruining the internet and posting toxic content.

 

 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, StandardIssue said:

Technically speaking "the internet" does not contain anything. It is simply a data network. It does not contain anything. It simply transmits it.

Where all content comes from are millions of servers mostly in huge data center run theses days by the major players such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and the like.

Would disagree as Google clearly filters and blocks some information.

As does Facebook, YouTube and even aseannow.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Negita43 said:

No worries AI will save you from the lies   or will it perpetuate them?

Unfortunately, AI source of info, is from all the lies of the past.  May take a generation or 2 for the truth to come out on so many issues.  Though I doubt the deep state will be relinquishing their power and control of most info, any time soon.

[billd766]

Just now, Will B Good said:

Are a Few People Ruining Asean Now For the Rest of Us?

Yes

[Cameroni]

20 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Unfortunately, AI source of info, is from all the lies of the past.

 

It's much worse than that, the AI models are fed with carefully curated content that is meant not to offend anybody, plain vanilla, inoffensive word porridge. If there is even a hint of a possibility that a fact could upset anyone it is deemed "harmful" and not included in the AI model.

 

Pretty soon everyone in the world will have a plain vanilla version of the world, carefully curated not to offend Americans.

 

 

[Yagoda]

The problem with the internet is that its mostly free and it gives an opportunity for the lowest and most loathsome forms of humanity to spew their deranged vile garbage simply for attention. Its like turning over a rock and finding a squirming pile of disgusting filthy worms oozing pus, each with its appropriate label:  paedophile, psychopath, anti semite, terrorist, bolshevik, misogynist, basically, the total dregs of humanity...

 

Step on the worms and they pop up somewhere else. Price of freedom.

[Yagoda]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

Pretty soon everyone in the world will have a plain vanilla version of the world, carefully curated not to offend Americans.

Somewhat inconsistent with the policies of the America First movement wouldnt you say?

[Cameroni]

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Somewhat inconsistent with the policies of the America First movement wouldnt you say?

 

We have yet to see whether Trump and Co will not be a fleeting moment, a footnote in history. But AI is likely to make a long lasting impact on socieites around the world.

[madone]

9 hours ago, gargamon said:

A small fraction of hyperactive social media users generates the vast majority of toxic online content,

that is most certainly the case here -- a Thailand forum awash in trump discussions.

[Yagoda]

6 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

We have yet to see whether Trump and Co will not be a fleeting moment, a footnote in history.

Naah. This is the beginning of a new age