This one from today exemplifies something I often see, and why I discourage arguing w/ dismissives on social media: it's the dehumanizing anonymity of the internet that allows people to say things like this. They never say this to my face, because then they'd have to acknowledge I'm a fellow human.
Since I had such a large sample (nearly a hundred), I analyzed X comments by category.
47% said climate wasn't changing, I was lying, ignorant, or not really a scientist
15% said I was in it for the $
14% were insults
Content warning: Please don't read the fine print if you're sensitive.
Well, I guess we finally have the data to back it up. Denial really is the most common response to climate change on Twitter.
Now the question remains: are they human or are they bots? π€
I have looked at that! I use BotDetector, and hand-searches. Some accounts score 50-70% on BD + have real photos + real-sounding names, but their followers 100% crypto-traders, lotto winners & lovely ladies which is a dead giveaway.
Overall I'm currently at about 50-50 real/not real.
I can say anecdotally from my coworkers, denialism is the most common in the old. I have heard quote "I don't believe in global warming, and even if I did, we can't do anything about it because of India and China."
Which I suppose is a way to absolve guilt over their children/grandchildren.
