A new study links partisan activity on the Internet to widespread online toxicity, revealing that politically-engaged users exhibit uncivil behavior even in non-political discussions. The findings are based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users.

Politically-engaged Redditors tend to be more toxic – even in non-political subreddits::A new study links partisan activity on the Internet to widespread online toxicity, revealing that politically-engaged users exhibit uncivil behavior even in non-political discussions. The findings are based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users.

  • pelespiritEnglish
    261·
    11 months ago

    100% agree with you. The worst part is the bots are getting better and better. I have a policy that you respond once to clarify and then walk away. These are for obvious bad actors, but now they’re seeming more and more like decent people with a flawed idea until you keep talking and realize it’s a bot. I don’t know how to counteract that.

    • voidMainVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      38·
      11 months ago

      I don’t know how to counteract that.

      Simple. You don’t. When I’m debating, I’m usually not trying to convince the person I’m debating with. I’m trying to convince a disinterested third party who reads the exchange later.

      • pelespiritEnglish
        11·
        11 months ago

        I completely agree that it’s for the later people, it’s just a waste of time for me when it’s become a lengthy thread that nobody is going to read anyway.

        The other thing they do is a bot attack of taking what people are saying, changing it, and then posting a lot of them to bury comments that they don’t want others to see. Not sure how to counteract that either.

    • EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
      10·
      11 months ago

      How do you know they’re actually bots? 90% of the time, when I’m debating with someone who is passionately defending their position, they’ll at some point accuse me of being a bot or a shill. I also can’t recall any time I’ve debated someone and have been convinced they are a bot.

      I’m just skeptical as it’s a convenient ad hominem.

      • lagomorphlecture@lemm.eeEnglish
        6·
        11 months ago

        To be totally honest with you, I wouldn’t for one second be surprised if the bots are programmed to accuse humans of being bots.

      • SuddenDownpourEnglish
        4·
        11 months ago

        I have the same question. How do you distinguish an advanced enough bot from a genuinely dumb person?

        • aidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          11 months ago

          Or “smart” person. There are almost certainly bots who espouse beliefs that align with yours too.