So I was just listening to a podcast that was talking about doubters in a particular church and how podcasts started springing up and online communities of people willing to talk to each other about their doubts started forming, and it got me thinking.
Has the Internet made it easier or harder to indoctrinate people?
The argument for harder is simple. Before the Internet, parents could tell their kids any bullshit they wanted, and the kids would have no way of verifying whether or not what they're told is true. It's very easy to make someone believe something if they're never exposed to an opposing view or actual evidence until they've solidified their beliefs into their sense of identity, after which they're likely to engage in any amount of cognitive dissonance necessary to maintain that identity.
The Internet doesn't eliminate this entirely, but it does mean that when a parent or community tells a kid that, for example, the Holocaust wasn't real, the kid is likely to encounter actual evidence online that disproves what their parents say. After that, it seems like they'll be more likely to question what their parents and their community say in general.
The other side of the argument, though, is that the Internet is exceptionally good at creating niche communities and echo chambers. If you're a conservative, you're likely to read conservative news sites, and likely to only expose yourself to conservative opinions. Without seeing the other side of the story, it's very easy to develop monolithic viewpoints.
Anyone have any thoughts?