Journalist Andrew Marantz spent three years embedded in the world of internet trolls and social media propagandists, seeking out the people who are propelling fringe talking points into the heart of conversation online and trying to understand how they're making their ideas spread. Go down the rabbit hole of online propaganda and misinformation — and learn we can start to make the internet less toxic.
Get TED Talks recommended just for you! Learn more at .
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request here:
Follow TED on Twitter:
Like TED on Facebook:
Subscribe to our channel:
Let me start by condemning the subject of my research!
Yuppp, calling it right now, comments are probably going to get turned off on this one…
SHUT IT DOWN
@The Pope “It’s the algorithm”. How convenient…
@Gran Darf not sure if that’s sarcastic but youtube is working on automated systems that detect “hate speech” on videos through automated captions. Doing the same with comments shouldn’t be that much more difficult.
of course, they’re scared of a dialogue.
@anony moose Precisely. Somewhat hypocritical of a company that claims to support the free spreading of ideas…
Just because you told me to be a “smart skeptic” i’m going to ask you why
@Xiph1980 I’m skeptic about your skepticism
so you’d rather be a dumb skeptic?
@Noiseless Sounds a skeptic is by definition”dumb” because they lack all of the information. “Smart” and “dumb” are just propaganda terms to convince retards like you to only question certain things
Skepticism is really just questioning information. If you don’t question information and believe everything you see, hear, or read, then you become easily manipulated; believing what someone else tells you to, no matter how dangerous.
@DrZudsi But being a dumb skeptic, you just believe stuff that you already think by yourself and nothing that comes from the outside, which prevents learning.
“Think for yourself. Except for this, this and this!”
Also: “Anyone talking about Jewish control of the media is a conspiracy theorist. Now let me talk about how incredibly Jewish I am while endorsing online censorship”
And don’t you dare argue against white privilege you “jerk” even if you are an unemployed steel worker.
“Free speech is good, but using freedom of speech is bad. Of course governments shouldn’t limit speech, just multi-billion dollar tech companies based out of California that have vastly different values than the majority of America”
Beware of those that rub hands and wear very small hats that constantly subvert
This emotional algorithm thing is identical to marketing.
Bad fame is still a fame, which provides money.
People just don’t like being told how they should think or what is right. Especially when there is no debate around the issues and legitimate skeptical voices are painted as bigoted and shut out or deplatformed – an attitude which pushes some into the arms of actual bigots.
Trolls will always troll just to piss people off. The real problem is how divisive politics are these days and you can’t solve that problem by ignoring opinions you don’t like, or being hyperbolic about the attitudes of people who aren’t as careful as you with their words, or being overly sensitive and heavy handedly policing the internet to appease the latest minority claiming persecution.
“Let’s make decency cool again”, I’ll start by characterising my opposition as fasc1sts.
Cognitive Dissonance in the form of a TED talk.
Smallhats have genius-level verbal acuity. However, once you recognize this and see the motivation behind their words and initiatives, it loses all effectiveness. This is exactly why open discourse away from their control and censorship is one of their largest existential threats.
Hurt your fee fees snowflake? Sometimes fascist is descriptive.
@NoExitLoveNow Maybe fascist is descriptive for the most extreme people in society but calling your opponents fascists is not a way to open dialogue and labeling people fascists en mass will only create a cover for real fascists.
I hate the idea of an ethno-state but I don’t think open-borders are workable.
Am I a fascist in your opinion?
This guy looks like he’s about 5’2″
I think it’s just the way he dresses
He’s one Rogan tall.
Meanwhile, Twitter and the MSM and considered the paragons of decency and virtue.
Maratz.. were right every time
Comments section:
*Disagreements intensify*
Sam Hyde performed the best TED episode
Imaging belonging to a group of people that controls 80% of silicon valley and the mainstream media, and feeling threatened by a long haired, spoon clanking, occultist giving polling results from his mom’s basement, or an obnoxious swede that spends hours playing video games…. This timeline…
This timeline is nuts
3yrs+ nofap my power is beyond measure
Pee pee poo poo pisssssssssssssSS and sheeit
Every. Single. Time.
The like to dislike ratio LMAOOOO
Daily reminder : ALWAYS DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT JEWS SAY
That is all
I think we all know who’s behind this ted talk: George soros.
Nice try, shlomo. Open Societies is an anti nation state activist organization. It’s what Sorros lives for. It’s out in the open for all to see.
lol this tool thinks Q anons represent all right-wing internet trolls
reality is, any political view to the right of what fox news broadcasts has no mainstream influence, and are blocked off social media. These ideas are forced to the fringes of the internet and to trolling with alt accounts. Assuming they all believe the same thing, and assuming they all reached their opinions because they are reactionary “angsty teens” is what makes this ted talk sound like one long blue checkmarked twitter post.