Erik Svensson

I enjoy #Mastodon and I think it will gradually replace #sciencetwitter and accelerate #ScienceTwitterMigration

I don't think I will miss the virtue signalling and harassment on Twitter, but I worry that Mastodon is somewhat of an academic filter bubble of left-leaning liberals.

Don't misinterpret this: I am firmly located on the left myself (though I consider myself a #socialist, not a liberal), but I appreciate a bit of ideological diversity as a way to sharpen my intellect. 1/

Dec 21, 2022 at 4:52pmWeb
Show threadErik SvenssonDec 21, 2022

I see some people here on Mastodon who have been screaming for the last two years on Twitter, claiming that we always need stricter restrictions, more lockdowns and face masks, labelling anyone who question these views as "eugenicists". That is rather tiresome, I think, and it is definitely not the kind of "left" I belong to, or would like to belong to.

Rather, it is an academic intellectual left locked up in ivory towers and totally isolated from the working class that cannot work remotely 2/

Show threadmicrobluvrsarahDec 21, 2022
@EvolOdonata I actually sorta agree. It's equally important to know what our "opponents" are saying (can't think of a better word), and I also have been worried that we are bubbling ourselves away from that. It's good that this is a safe space for us, because it can be tiring and overwhelming to see posts we disagree with all the time.
Show threadErik SvenssonDec 21, 2022

@microbluvrsarah Sure, don't misinterpret me: I don't miss anti-vaxxers, racists, conservatives, abortion opponents, christian fundamentalists etc.

I just worry that we end up in a left-leaning echo-chamber where our views are not challenged.

I think it might be good for leftwingers (including myself) to sometimes get challenged by intelligent opponents, e.g. thoughtful conservatives (not necessarily vulgar Trump-supporters, I should clarify).

Show threadKristoffer LawsonDec 22, 2022
@EvolOdonata I definitely get that feeling as well. Any bubble can be problematic as views become stagnant and uniform. I like to be challenged now and then (at least in a civil manner), and have had situations where people get into a real huff just for questioning the prevalent bubble view. Part of that is related to the history of the platform, but I find there are also many here who don't mind an intelligent debate. Still pretty positive about the place overall.