Showerthought: The moon landing debate used to be about books and TV, now it's all YouTube clips

Last week, I was at a friend's house and his kid pulled up a video about the 'fake' moon landing, full of quick cuts and flashy graphics. It made me think back to 3 years ago, when the same debate at a bar in Portland was just people arguing over a book they'd read. Even a month ago, a guy at work just kept saying 'do your own research' but couldn't name a single source. The whole feel of the argument has changed. It's less about slow facts and more about fast, shareable clips. Do you think the way we get info has changed how these debates play out?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah_davis18d ago

My uncle got deep into flat earth stuff a few years back, and it was all these slick YouTube videos with arrows and circles on satellite photos. He'd never read a book about it in his life. The vibe is totally different now, like you're watching a trailer for a conspiracy instead of having a real talk. It's harder to argue with a feeling a video gives you than with a page number someone points to.

kelly.dylan18d ago

Saw my buddy lose hours to that same slick vibe @noah_davis.