## Wiki Tutorial

### September 13, 2021: [[Agnotology and Epistemological Fragmentation ](https://points.datasociety.net/agnotology-and-epistemological-fragmentation-56aa3c509c6b)]

With easy access to media, today's sources of information are often flooded with predisposed ideas being unknowingly forced onto the reader. In "Agnotology and Epistemological Fragmentation," Dana Boyd explores the agnotology -the deliberate induction of ignorance- that has become a significant part of our information consumption.

Boyd specifically mentions YouTube as a source that can easily "radicalize" teenagers seeking information. She prompts to reader to envision a scenario where a college student views a PragerU video in order to learn about social justice, unknowing that PragerU is a conservative organization that heavily opposes "leftist" ideologies that are taught to college students. When the student recalls the video in class, the teacher is shocked: just as PragerU predicted. Thus, the student is prompted to watch more PragerU-type videos, regardless of their inaccuracy and cherry-picking. To quote Boyd, "how far does the rabbit hole go?"


This rabbit hole is what people often call the "alt-right pipeline:" an individual's journey to extremism through the use of social media platforms (especially YouTube). In the age of political correctness, many internet comedians turned to offensive shock humor in order to catch the attention of individuals who were uncomfortable with PC culture. Some examples of these comedians include FilthyFrank and IDubbbz. Their comedic videos often included jokes and characters that made fun of races, disabled people, and activists -especially feminists. Because of these "jokes,"" the YouTube algorithm would reccomend political videos relating to these topics, such as "feminist destroyed" compilations or Ben Shapiro clips. Thus, the alt-right pipeline would begin.

Image: YouTubers IDubbbz, FilthyFrank, MaxMoeFoe

Many of these offensive YouTubers have quit making videos, but content of similar qualities is still being made on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. With social media algorithms getting smarter and smarter by the day, it is difficult to imagine a day where the rabbit hole will cease to exist.