Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella Doomscroll 33: Taylor Lorenz
7 snips
Oct 20, 2025 
Taylor Lorenz, a journalist and author of "Extremely Online," dives deep into social media's impact on politics and culture. She explores the unsettling reality of dark money influencing today's influencers. The conversation also touches on youth meme culture, revealing its role in shaping political views and identities. Lorenz critiques how misinformation and mixed public health messaging have bred distrust, especially among younger generations. Lastly, she emphasizes the urgent need for transparency in media and the left's challenge in building online power against established funding disparities.
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Targeted Conspiracy Harassment
- Taylor Lorenz recounts receiving a wave of conspiratorial attacks accusing her of secretly controlling the internet and taking dark money.
- She describes the absurdity and intensity of the harassment and how false claims spread quickly in her mentions.
Funding Shapes Influencer Behavior
- Smaller influencers often depend heavily on dark-money funding and thus are more likely to react strongly when exposed.
- Major creators may be less financially dependent, while mid-tier creators can be financially captive to such programs.
Irony Can Radicalize Over Time
- Irony on the internet often masks genuine belief and can push people towards extreme positions over time.
- Taylor calls this 'irony poisoning' where repeated edgy posting normalizes harmful views.
