How does one get sucked into a cult? Amanda Montell posits that language plays a major part in attracting people to cults and keeping them in — a “conquest of vocabulary”. Language, she says, is the foundation cults are built on, forming the reality by which their members operate in. For example, Jim Jones adopted paranoid “us versus them” terminology, called his followers his “children”, defectors “traitors”, and himself “God in the Body” seemingly to foster a community that drew close to him and shunned outsiders out. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
