2023-01-30
35 分钟The internet can be a wonderful, but also a terribly unpleasant place. Andrew Marantz knows this well. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker who spent three years embedded in the world of internet trolls to understand how regular people propel fringe talking points into the heart of online conversations. In this episode, he shares how ideas spread on the internet – and what we can do to make our digital experiences less about doom-scrolling, and more about real human connection. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts
Ted audio collective, you're listening to how to be a better human.
I'm your host, Chris Duffy.
I grew up in New York City, and so one of the big differences between my childhood and friends who grew up in other places is how little time I spent in cars.
Starting in around fifth grade, I could walk over to a friend's house or hop on the bus on my own.
I remember the first time I took the subway on my own.
My dad secretly followed me the whole way, and he rode in the car right behind me.
I actually didn't know it at the time.
He only told me that he did this recently, but pretty soon after that, he got comfortable with me on the train, and I was comfortable.
And if I wanted to go somewhere, I would just take the subway regularly.
All over the city, I have so many memories of sitting calmly on the train as it whirrs along, and I'm peacefully reading my book.
So it was kind of surprising when, as an adult living in a different state, I owned my first car and I finally started driving to work regularly.
I was really surprised by road rage, and not just other people's road rage, but my own, because I cannot think of a time when I ever cursed someone out or flipped someone off while I was walking down the sidewalk or on a subway.
I just can't imagine that.
But inside of a car, I would often just find myself boiling with rage.
I remember this one time, a car cut me off at a crowded intersection, and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid crashing.
And I was so angry at this person for doing this dangerous move and for being such a fool.
And I was yelling curse words at them, and they were yelling curse words at me.
And then I pulled alongside the car, ready to throw my middle finger out the window at them.
And I saw that this person that I was so furious at was an elderly woman.
And I just, I just instantly felt so embarrassed.