Mastodawn

Propagandist's Playbook target: Teens

1. Exploit transition glitches. Rapid emotional pivots (calm > outrage > vindication) keep adolescent brains dysregulated longer than single-emotion content.

2. Sustain background threat. Feed outrage, then "safe" content that looks reassuring but maintains low-level anxiety. Brain never fully exits threat-mode.

3. Fast cuts > slow cuts. 1-2 second scenes prevent emotional state completion. Brain processes previous emotion while encountering new one. Adolescents lag ~50-100ms; exploit that lag.

4. Shock hits harder. Adolescents under-recruit threat-detection during happy > angry transitions. Graphic/sudden content hits an unprepared neural system. Psychological impact amplified.

5. Algorithmic oscillation. Detect outrage engagement > feed calming content (incomplete cool-down) > feed more outrage. Keep them in the glitch zone.

Core insight: Engagement #algorithms reward content that creates dysregulation. You're not accidentally exploiting #adolescent #neurology you're deliberately architecting for it.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1697260025001073?via%3Dihub

#propaganda #brainwashing #socialmedia #socials #broligarchs #psychology #computationalpropaganda

Cris Pineda Aug 1, 2023

Sharing this paper about the "Political Economy of Covert Influencer Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections."

Authors are Fatima Gaw, Jon Benedik Bunquin, Samuel Cabbuag, Jose Mari Lanuza, Noreen Sapalo, Al-Habbyel Yusoph.

Link for the paper here: https://internews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/InternewsPH_July2023_Political-Economy-of-Covert-Influence-Operations-in-the-2022-Philippine-Elections-2.pdf

#computationalpropaganda #research #socialmedia #studies

Gert

Feb 28, 2023

#computationalpropaganda
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2018/02/09/584514805/computational-propaganda-yeah-that-s-a-thing-now

Gert

Feb 28, 2023

Computational Propaganda
«Since 2016, the digital battlefield has become more sophisticated and widespread across the globe. False information about major events from the Covid-19 outbreak to the 2020 US election is jeopardizing public health and safety. Here we dig into how modern warfare is being waged on the internet, and the steps being taken to stop it.»
#computationalpropaganda
https://www.cbinsights.com/research/future-of-information-warfare/

Weaponization of the Future: Digital Warfare & Disinformation | CB Insights

The digital battlefield has become more sophisticated & widespread. Here we dig into how modern warfare is being waged on the internet. Find out more.

CB Insights Research

Gert

Feb 28, 2023

Computational propaganda:
«AI and machine learning technologies enable computational propaganda bots to tailor their campaigns in real-time and spread with virus-like scale. Essentially, these bots identify and exploit people who are computationally pre-determined to be the most vulnerable to digital psychological manipulation. Political propagandists, such as the infamous firm Cambridge Analytica, exploit traits in people that signal their level of susceptibility to different psychological manipulations. Examples of such traits are detailed in leaked emails from the firm. Traits include allegiance to a political party, stances on hot-button issues such as gun-control, and even if a person is neurotic, suspicious of others, or believes in astrological signs.»
#ai #computationalpropaganda
https://www.cbinsights.com/research/future-of-information-warfare/

Weaponization of the Future: Digital Warfare & Disinformation | CB Insights

The digital battlefield has become more sophisticated & widespread. Here we dig into how modern warfare is being waged on the internet. Find out more.

CB Insights Research