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Sequel to famed viral conspiracy video quickly fades into the void of nonsensical obscurity

Starring Scott Baio & Dr. Demon Sperm

Social media being looked at by ftc
Image: Unsplash

Plandemic, a wildly inaccurate film that explores the depths to which our collective ignorance will latch on to easily debunked nonsense when searching for answers to things we just don’t understand, has a sequel. The last thing we need right now is another viral video full of falsehoods permeating the social culture war battlefield with its salacious lies and conspiracy theory bullshit passing as faux-science fact.

But this time around, we were warned and social media sites took action. The video, titled Plandemic: Indoctrination was promoted hundreds of times on Facebook, from pages with hundreds of thousands of followers. The campaign included the inevitability that it would be taken down. LinkedIn removed an account promoting it before it had a chance to premiere. Facebook is blocking users from reposting a link to the video (which is hosted externally) and Twitter sends users to a warning screen offering the explanation that the link is potentially spammy or unsafe.

It’s still going to take active effort to keep this nonsense off social platforms and in the un-watched bin where it belongs. Full of anti-vaxx conspiracy theories and vague references to even vaguer cabals of elites controlling a pandemic for profit (which, isn’t too far off considering the drug companies’ profits in all this), Indoctrination has yet to find a home on social media. Hosted by streaming channel London Real, it has a few hundred views on YouTube and only 53k interactions on the original Facebook post. In the age of misinformation, that’s not a lot.

Sure, Facebook and Twitter (and Linkedin) have done their part for this one singular piece of misinformation (thus far)

Plandemic conspiracy documentary

Image: KnowTechie

But Facebook especially has a long way to go to control the spread of lies, harmful conspiracy theories, and ignorant advice aimed at the foreheads of squishy brained idiots willing to believe anything they are told in lieu of having to actually study or learn about something. As we watch the scientific method unfold before our eyes, we are watching the public’s lack of understanding of the scientific method unfold in real-time as well.

The scientific community is frustrated with social media, especially Facebook groups and online forums, places full to the brim of idiots believing misinformation presented as fact by other idiots, because both sets of idiots refuse to concede to actual scientists, actual experts and anything that would actually make them think. And sure, the producers of this latest video made it easy by announcing its release, but there is more that can be done by the social platforms, but it takes some work.

So it’s this weird, endless cycle of stupid that starts with the populace and ends with social platforms embracing complacency in moderation, allowing the stupid to permeate the soft-brained masses. Social platforms shouldn’t have to hope that the creators of misinformation announce their propaganda videos in order to take action. COVID hoaxes have been about as prevalent as twelve-year-olds dropping the F-bomb in Fortnite this year and it’s not helping an already shitty situation. Social platforms should be dumping extra resources into moderating the sheer ignorance of society so we can log on and get truths, instead of nonsense.

Or should they? On one hand, it creates a more trusted atmosphere on the platforms themselves if they are clear of misinformation. On the other, morons are gonna moron and morons spend money. So the conundrum is clear. Make money or keep it smart. It’s hard to do both when the top Facebook pages are generally right-wing blogs twisting the truth into hideous carnival pretzels. Regardless, this time they got it right and got it early. Stamp out the spark and there will be no fire, consuming us all with the flames of stupid.

What do you think? Are social media companies doing enough to stop the spread of misinformation campaigns and harmful conspiracy theories? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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