Has the internet encouraged people who are stupid to take strong opinions?

The internet has opened people to a wealth of information.

And while that is good thing, it's dangerous if you're unable to think logically and critically- like our resident anti-vaxxers on here: Mrs A. Lisa, Sherrie Christian, Pindar, etc. It's a problem for these people because they don't know what to do with that information.

They think vaccines are harmful based on anecdotes and bad science. What concerns me is that even when their error is pointed out, they still stick to their guns.

They seem to think reading articles on thinktwice, NVIC, natural news, truthaboutgardasil and mercola, etc constitutes research. Which is laughable given that as you correctly pointed out, learning how to research takes years of training. Which explains why these people get it so dramatically wrong. They clearly don't know what real research is.

There have always been stupid people with strong opinions around. The thing is, before the internet, it was harder for those people to find a big enough soapbox. Nowadays, anyone can fire up a blog and post their stupidity for the world to see. Unfortunately, we are seeing professional news reporters being forced out in favor of loudmouths with strong opinions. The real reporters would have to back up their claims, while the loudmouths think that just having an opinion will MAKE the facts fit, if they can only shout loudly enough.

I've been around long enough, though (yes, before the internet) to see stupid people inspire diet crazes, and political crazes, etc. Celebrities have always touted ideas that are...not based in reality, let's say. This happened before TV was common. People would read gossip rags and believe whatever a movie star said was true. Most stars had handlers, though, so they didn't really get to say much of anything.

Remember, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. However, facts are not a matter of opinion.

Having served on juries and been interior the objective audience at jury trials, I even have been struck by using the utter stupidity of "12 reliable adult males." So interior the mild of that microcosm of electorate, i could agree that American all and sundry isn't the sharpest tacks interior the container. Juries could be swayed by using using jingles. If a smart lawyer unearths the thank you to encase an incorrect assumption in a catchy word or poem, and then repeats that lower back and lower back, the jury will discover for his shopper. in one jury trial, a guy's Constitutional precise to safeguard his own residence became being challenged by using the DA, and the jury became so swayed by using the argument that they only approximately ruled against the form, had it no longer been for 2 women folk who "hung" the jury by using objecting. you will think of that people could be on safeguard against tyranny. properly, it is my 2 cents. If we will not use our brains while basically 12 are assembled, how can we be depended on with the vote?

Yes...and many times, these stupid ideas are encouraged by other people who's level of intelligence is as low as theirs. For example, on some sites (such as yahoo and youtube) you have what is called the comment sections....these are partly filled with ill-informed people who lack social contact with people or who are shunned by society (for some reason or another)....They turn to comments sections to feel important, wanted, and to get their voices heard because no one in "real life" gives a darm about what they think (because what they say is usually insane).

Yes, that is true in many cases. However, I get the impression that you seem to consider anyone who has a point of view that differs from yours to be stupid. Is everyone who takes issue with climate change a "toothless redneck" in your opinion? Or is anyone who is concerned about the dangers of vaccines a "stupid hippy"?

the stupid we will have with us always

and, at times, all of us have a stupid opinion or belief.

many ideas in this world are just that - ideas. proof is often hard to come by - and what constitutes proof, really?

nevertheless, every human is entitled to their own opinion - as long as they willingly accept the consequences of that opinion

I wouldn't say that but I think it gives so much information now that it feeds people answers they want to believe instead of facts that they should base their decisions on. What is scary is that there is so much fake information that people may believe something that was only meant to be a joke.

yes..oh god yes..this is the best summation of the internet I have seen in some time.

If you were here I'd buy you a drink.

I hate how everyone here is referring to stupid people as "they", as if most of us aren't in that group.

Yes!