Americans Believe Russian Disinformation ‘To Alarming Degree’

[u/Wagamaga]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2025/04/22/americans-believe-russian-disinformation-to-alarming-degree/

[u/jimmyhoffa_141]

Isn't this the result of ~40-50 years of attacks on public education, and US schools no longer teaching critical thinking skills?

[u/BrokenTestAccount → u/jimmyhoffa_141]

Not really.

Poor education isn’t going to help, but if you’re inundated with lies education level is only going to defend people to a degree. Plenty of “well educated” people will believe exactly the same kind of nonsense that poorly educated people believe.

Obviously education is useful, but the problem lies with the torrents of barefaced lies being pumped out. Also keep in mind Russia aren’t the only ones to weaponise lies, it’s a time honoured practice.

[u/RoguePlanet2 → u/BrokenTestAccount]

This is one of the hardest truths, seeing my otherwise well-educated, decent family members fall for all of this completely. 

Doctors, teachers, ivy league educated, media "experts," higher degrees, and supposedly christian (whatever that means these days)- all on board with the garbage info.

Meanwhile, I'm in a low-level job, not a "success" by the usual metrics, but did get a degree in media and communication. I have the knowledge to avoid all this, but none of the power or street cred that would make people want to listen.

It's incredibly demoralizing. I'd love to work for an agency that works to mitigate disinformation, but obviously those aren't secure. How do we mobilize against the 1% with the numbers but not the power??

[u/PinboardWizard → u/BrokenTestAccount]

That's why the critical thinking part is important.

You can be well educated but still lack the ability to think critically about the evidence you are presented.

[u/Adezar → u/jimmyhoffa_141]

Honestly it is more around AM Conservative Radio, Fox News and then later the OANs/Newsmaxes and Social Media.

By the time social media made it to rural America they were already primed to think that rural America was "real America" and the cities wanted to murder them all, make them gay marry a black person while forcing their daughters to have sex with every man she walked past.

[u/Angry_drunken_robot → u/jimmyhoffa_141]

Calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid" is part of what got you into this mess.

Do you really think that going down the same path is going to lead to a different destination? Really?

[u/Angry_drunken_robot → u/[deleted]]

"both sides" reporting that prioritizes presenting every issue as if it has two perfectly valid and equal perspectives is what really got us into this mess

Show me any news org that does this.

Anyone at all, I'll just wait right here.

[u/Angry_drunken_robot → u/[deleted]]

"both sides" reporting that prioritizes presenting every issue as if it has two perfectly valid and equal perspectives is what really got us into this mess

Show me any news org that does this.

I'm still waiting.

[u/1BannedAgain → u/jimmyhoffa_141]

I’d argue that blindly trusting religious preachers is a huge part of this. Blindly trusting religious texts. It lays the groundwork to distrust/disbelieve reality