Ignorance is bliss. Some people choose that path and get upset when their chosen world view is questioned.

An easy example is hygiene. Most people understand that hygiene is closely tied to the health of yourself and others.

Some people don't have that knowledge or don't want to accept that fact because it is easier to not shower, wash clothes, or maintain a clean living space.

It’s always been a great low pressure avenue for opening up to potentially like minded people and starting conversations.

I just wish people would show some more IRL decorum, generally. For example we’re responding to an OP talking about “stupid, stupid” people or whatever. I’d be a little more positive off the bat if we were having this conversation at a party.

This message summed up in a animation

https://youtu.be/NPsbzMr2QJQ

Yeah. You don't reinforce their ignorance by saying they are correct. Best to either ignore it or state the correct answer while avoiding or acknowledging their stupid.

If it's a private conversation, attempt to correct once to test their ability to be corrected but ignore any future nonsense if they resist being corrected.

spouting absurdities as fact to make one's next statements sound reasonable is a common brainwashing tactic.

Yeah, it's how Ben Shapiro keeps "winning" debates with college students who aren't familiar enough with rhetorical fallacies:

"let's say that [absurdly incorrect but reasonable-sounding on the surface assumption]", followed by a conclusion that's inescapable when accepting that premise.

Alright, you can exempt the truly intelligent from my statement. I think it's still basically the same after you do that, alas.

And by that they consider themselves as intelligent people

Gatekeepers aren't just public gatekeepers. Powerful private press outlets have controlled and filtered information for centuries. And obviously before that the relationship between rulers, church and printers was a complicated mess.

So yeah, there were already gatekeepers, which doesn't mean you couldn't get around them, especially when new media is introduced. Unsanctioned press was a thing, even before radio.

I do think it's refreshing to have someone online come at it from a European perspective, where gatekeepers are assumed to be controlled by the state. The US version of this conversation is so prevalent even not being American one forgets it's not the default.

Speaking of gatekeepers, I suppose.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_from_Omelas