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Zeynep Tufekci in today’s @nytopinion

March 7, 2024

4. Accountability avoidance

It makes you (the "child") feel guilty and "bad" for holding someone (the "adult") accountable for their harmful actions.

It also changes the subject from an objective harmful action (voting for a divisive, hate-filled, or antidemocratic agenda, for instance) to the subjective realm of "being friends" and the emotional safety that comes from preserving social bonds..

March 2, 2024

"The courage of individuals like Bobi Wine and Navalny reminds us of a better world." - Moses Bwayo, director, #BobiWinethePeoplesPresident, Oscar nominee for Best Documentary

February 24, 2024

My WISH for ETs doesn't make it more likely that one of a zillion sightings turns out to be a real one. But somehow it feels like common sense to say, "With ALL those sightings? You're claiming not even ONE is real? How likely is that?? Do you even know MATH?"

It’s so easy to use the vibes of logic in the service of self-flattery.

January 14, 2023

People have asked me to explain those lame New York Times headlines.

One possibility: midlevel editors believe their instructions are to say what happened without sounding like the opposition. This is tripping them up because merely to state what Trump is doing sounds the alarm and feels oppositional—since it is so extreme and threatening.

The result: weak or misleading headlines that have to be changed.

January 7, 2024