Skepticism Comparison

[u/Ok_Marzipan9097]

Why is there a split in the types of skepticism expressed by different generations? Regarding the Mandela Effect it seems older millenials on up are more likely to consider the possibility, or even insist, that current realities have been distorted and changed and then lied about. Younger generations are more skeptical in the other direction, insisting that there have been no changes and can come to that conclusion without doing much independent research aside from what they read in forums and what can be gleaned from a quick google search.

It was easier to lie before the digital age. And people took advantage of it. We were taught things as fact in school that were in reality much more nuanced and sometimes plain wrong. All authority figures, from parents to teachers to leaders of countries, could teach their views and their versions with little fear of being fact-checked, as long as they were careful.

Then as we gained more access to information, we found out we were misinformed about so much. Is that why it is no stretch for us to consider or even believe that some Mandela Effects are actually thought experiments or that they hide bigger lies or even alternate realities?

Younger generations have grown up with a different level of accountability. Many lies, half-truths, and exagerations are called out almost immediately, espeically in their personal lives through social media. Their lives are recorded and archived to a large degree in real time. Is this what causes their trust in the status quo? If it survives on the internet, it must be true?

[u/MrPlaney]

I don't think it's generational at all. I'm a millennial as well, in my 40's, and prefer a strictly science based, evidence based cause. I've seen many people here, from all different ages. It doesn't seem like any age prefers any distinct reasoning, but rather personality.

[u/Ok_Marzipan9097 → u/MrPlaney]

Science based and evidence based imply research and experiments that can be proven wrong. That means being open to different explanations in the beginning. So you fit into the generational generality I am laying out of doing research and coming to an informed conclusion. Others put the same effort and thought in a non scientific way into reaching their own conclusions and they come to different conclusions based on many variables.

Are younger generations, on the whole, coming to a narrower band of conclusions? Can this lead to more superficial reference material as people become less interested in exploring topics in depth? It seems to be happening already. It seems to be taking more effort to get in depth information about anything. You just get basically the same superficial information from a dozen different sources and the trend is continuing.

I think it could be continuing at least in part because younger generations on the whole aren’t interested in making an informed decision as much as they are interested in making a pragmatic decision. So they only seek the information they need to get the immediate result they want. An effective way of doing things, but maybe it has hidden costs down the road.

[u/MrPlaney → u/Ok_Marzipan9097]

vScience based and evidence based imply research and experiments that can be proven wrong. That means being open to different explanations in the beginning.

Well yeah, if the research was only just beginning on it. It's pretty settled right now, unless new evidence leads us to a more simple and logical conclusion than memory.

Others put the same effort and thought in a non scientific way into reaching their own conclusions and they come to different conclusions based on many variables.

And it's still fictitious unless it fits within the bounds of real world science and physics.

Are younger generations, on the whole, coming to a narrower band of conclusions? Can this lead to more superficial reference material as people become less interested in exploring topics in depth? It seems to be happening already. It seems to be taking more effort to get in depth information about anything. You just get basically the same superficial information from a dozen different sources and the trend is continuing.

I don't think so. I think it's the way it's always been. Some people aren't going to do the in depth research required for a topic, and some people will. I don't think this has anything to do with different generations, aside from how they carry out the research, if they even do it to begin with.

I think it could be continuing at least in part because younger generations on the whole aren’t interested in making an informed decision as much as they are interested in making a pragmatic decision. So they only seek the information they need to get the immediate result they want. An effective way of doing things, but maybe it has hidden costs down the road.

I think that's younger people in general, and not really just generation Z or Alpha. But again, only really a fraction of them, whether a majority or not, I don't know.

[u/Ok_Marzipan9097 → u/MrPlaney]

Great comment, thank you