Is Twitter Real Life or Not?

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The idea that the internet isn't real life has kind of fallen apart a little bit, even if there are elements of truth in that sentence. There is still truth to let's say the idea that maybe you can win this or that political campaign by ignoring what people on Twitter want you to do and paying more attention to what constituents on the ground want you toDo. I think it's surprisingly alluring the temptation to say, I saw this thing and it freaked me out and I want everyone to know about it. And I just think it's important to step back and remember that was how Donald Trump ran for president not even in 2016 but he tried to launch a run in 2012 essentially

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