ABC says conspiracy web sites are contributing to mental health issues

I completely agree with ABC.

Think about it. If you have pre-existing paranoia or schizophrenia your going to be further paranoid and schizophrenia by reading about some jack-off's prediction as to what might happen in 2012.

reply to post by cindy22761

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Before I joined I would have disagreed with you, now I see what they are doing.

While the alternative is to interact with idealogical reasonings as rationalization for (inter)national acts that effect us all?

To participate in the latest trial of experimental anti-depressants with a diluted confidence in what Big Pharma propagates?

To constantly be directed towards pacifying outlets of entertainment?

It should be noted that 'pre-existing' mental conditions are probably a consequence of an ill prepared individual for the demands of society and socialization...and the mainstream media exasperates this reality by being a vehicle for indirect sponserships and advertisments as well as the propagation of irrelevant information.

Calling a human being crazy for seeking out information for one's self is incorrect...at the very least.

This site is about much more then predictions.

You would also have to prove that schizophrenics and the paranoid are drawn to this sort of site.

Just look at so many of the people in society, commiting crimes and doing what ever to people. Are we hurting anyone here, i doubt it that much.

The more experienced of us here, try to always get new comers to understand, you should not take everything here as gospel, but take from it what you need. I think you certainly get more valuable info here, than on any news station that i have seen.

Lets just hope ats and palces like it, stay around for along time to come. Knowledge is power, but we need to be aware that the government will use that phrase, to lislead us too, so thats why its important, not to take everything here as gospel.

Just imagine what we would still be like, if we never had ats, and other sites on the net, i would still be lost in my battle to find knowledge of things going on in this world, as even though alot is written in books, these books are not in libraries, and i cannot afford to buy many books, so sites like this are great.

Free info, what could be better.

metal health issues are experiencing reality beyond what ee've been told to experiencd.

big brother im getting sick and tired of your games, give me my people and i will "free" them if the rest want to be conrolled let them be but my people shll be free.

metal health issues are experiencing reality beyond what ee've been told to experiencd.

big brother im getting sick and tired of your games, give me my people and i will "free" them if the rest want to be conrolled let them be but my people shll be free.

About 3 months ago, I listened to a debate by a think tank on this very issue, and to be honest to an extent it is true, you only have to search through ATS threads to see subjects like, ATS is making me paranoid, or am I losing it etc.

The result of the discussion by the think tank, was that eventually one of the sites will make someone go over the edge, not necessarily this site, this site didn't even come up, some of the discussion suggested that it would not be the site itself that caused the problem, but the actual posts.

You have to ask, if that did happen, who would be to blame? the site, or the person making the original post, and whether or not the information posted was just a troll, or genuine, and that's what would make the outcome unpredictable, I believe we are yet to see our first lawsuit over a matter like this, people get sued for a lot less.

At the very least there would have to be a health warning to prevent such a lawsuit, and I am yet to see one on any site.

Sure nobody drags us to these sites, or forces us to take part or read, that has not held much weight in the past with other situations where someone has been shall we say upset or harmed, and you have to remember, not everyone is as mentally secure as the rest of society, that's one of the reasons I'm surprised that there is no age restriction on ATS, it can't be a good thing for say a 12 yr old to read some of the subjects posted, but I'm sure legal advice has been taken and all is OK .

It didn't surprise me when I heard the subject matter 3 months ago, and it didn't really surprise me today, it does surprise me it hasn't happened yet though.

The site is what you make of it. When you first get here, all you see is the big stories or threads, but after a while you will learn, the things that work well on the board, and you will notice what sort of threads to avoid.

Its just a learning experience like many other things.

Always remember never listen to any threads with dates, this site like you said is much more than that.

Just look at how sometimes, groups of you go on investigating in groups, such things as we talk about here. I think sites like this are something that is growing to something the people that control us do not really understand.

[edit on 12/12/2008 by andy1033]

It is easy to be against pharmaceuticals when you have no mental illness. It is very easy to blame society, parents, other people for creation of mental illness'. However, it is obvious with mental retardation that individuals are born and the brain adapts to the pre-determined genetic material. Both situations are possible, but don't assume that pre-existing mental illness' are a result of fiction.

As to your comment regarding "seeking truth". Let me tell you something that nobody probably has on this forum. 60% of all that shows up on ATS is false. 99.9% of all predictions on ATS are false. 75% of images and movies that show up on ATS were created for entertainment purposes only and exploited with extravagant claims.

It is not the "truth seeking" that drives a mental illness further into a hole. It is the belief in false facts, faked images, CGI movies, and false predictions that can really hurt an individual. The old saying "seeing is believing" still remains true, and for anyone who cannot properly interpret fact from fiction (which is often quite difficult on this website) will believe anything you tell them. That is why cults are so effective. After all ABC didn't say that reading the news contributes to mental illness', they said that reading conspiracy theories do.

If your a paranoid schizophrenic and you log into ATS and see that there are people living in the middle of earth, aliens abducting humans, humans being aliens cattle, ghosts in your living room, Chupacabra/demons/monsters running about, a planet that science hasn't discovered that contains our past ancestors on it, a comet that is going to hit earth any day now, and the constant fear mongering of "we must be prepared for the unknown".. I think you can do the math what this does to someone paranoid BEFORE they logged on.

reply to post by blowfishdl

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I agree with you, way too many people not just here, believe everyone thinks as they do, and they couldn't be more wrong, every single one of us see the World in a different way, there may be similarities, but still very different.

We agree, we disagree, for most of us that is fine, opinions and all that, but what about the few who sit and take a reply to their posts as a personal attack? it is only the anonymity that prevents some things going a lot further and more personal.

Even though we read this on a screen to many this is real to them, to others it's a joke or entertainment, and yet again to some, this has become their reality, a way to discover what is happening in the World that does not get out tot everyone because of media censorship etc, because of ATS we know the little things, and a lot of little things make bigger ones, example pleas to post if you see military on the streets, it matters not that they have seen them dozens of times before, all of a sudden its a build up to something sinister.

We get used to members, the way they post, the way they react, but what about the people who are not members? what do we know of them? are there people reading our threads, and going to pieces because they think Nibiru is going to wipe us out in 2012? (IMO it isn't)

I might remind everyone that the legal purpose of what we jokingly refer to as the MSM is to entertain.

The purpose of this venue is to expose and discuss.

It's an apples vs. oranges comparison if you ask me.

The same reasoning applied to the theory that sites like ATS are a 'risk' in terms of mental health could be applied to any ideology, religion, or anything that exposes a person to other people.

I fear this as a new 'meme' to be applied to anyone who dares reference any material they found interesting in any cyber-community that challenges the MSM's self-delusional monopoly on information dissemination.

I believe that the subject is worthy of exploration, but to make a claim such as they have is as ridiculously irresponsible as '21st century journalism' can get.

You mis quoted me. I stated "seeking out information for oneself. At no point did I intimate anytihng about truth. Thanks for the unecessary lecture on fallacious information though.

I will thank you to accurately represent my view when proceeding with a condescending tone (if your intent was not as such, I rescind that thought).



I am aware of cult mentality, possibly even more than you may be. Reading conspiracy theories cannot be equated to 'cult mentality' as the cult environment is necessarily predicated upon the isolation of an individual from past social relationships and preventing new relationships/interactions that aren't affiliated with persons in the cult. As far as ATS is concerned, we encourage as diverse a social circle as possible...

As well, I don't think that ABC, in propagating Icke of all people, is an authority on what a conspiracy theorist is. We are a very diverse group that range from the Alien/reptilian group (out there in my opinion) to those of us who question and analyze that which we are told fro established authoprity figures and the media. There is nothing in the questioning of third party ideologies that indicates mental illness. Indeed, even the reptillian crowd isn't necessarily 'ill' if we consider all the other fabricated illusions that we grow up and live with every day.



Nope..and neither can anyone else for that matter. Mental Illness is not a static condition and it does not necessarily follow that one diagnosed with a mental illness will flip out and believe everything they read.

Edit to Add A Sentence.

[edit on 12-12-2008 by MemoryShock]

reply to post by andy1033

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Right andy, plus we police ourselves, through debate and digging for valid information.

reply to post by Maxmars

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No doubt,

Hah!
Conspiracy sites leading to mental health issues?

I feel more mentally ill whenever I turn on mainstream media.

My prescription to fix such illnesses?

More cowbell.

Thats like saying reporting child molesters or murders contributes to those crimes. A web site is just another news source, its not infectious. And if it is who is to say thats a bad thing? I really have no doubt some people come out of the "closet" when they hear others having the same feeling, experiences, or beliefs. It's called "group think", otherwise known as crowd mentality.

I firmly believe that this area that is so stigmatised, it needs a kick in the ass to get some people who would never come forward to do so. Its not the medium its the message, and for many of us the message is very disturbing. Tough. Get over it. Most who claim these events according to a classified 1984 CIA report, are not crazy, lieing, or stupid. When you have an event or events you can not dismiss you come to the conclussion when all is said and done, this is real. My experience was it changed my view, for whatever its worth of the universe and humanity forever.

I love it!

I got an itch that only more cow bell can scratch baby!

MM

It all comes down to what type of person you choose to be.


Would you rather bury your head in the sand, put your blinders on and suck up all of the lies that the corporate imperialist backed media would feed you...having no exposure to nor any interest in the truth?


Or would you rather open your eyes and see the true face of your masters...no matter how horrible it may be to digest? Yes you have to be discerning and pick and choose what you believe and do not believe on conspiracy sites, but at least there is that 10% chance that you may actually find real truth in some form.

On ABC news there is 0% chance of it.

Drink the main stream kool aid, be oblivious and happily ignorant if you want. I will take my chances elsewhere.

[edit on 12/12/08 by BlackOps719]

if you are disabled, you should still LIVE a rich, diverse, life.

HUH?

Your losing me about Aliens/Big Feet/Thailand......? (Reminds me of "Obama is a Lizard Reptile thread....)

Again, get off the internet.

It's not that great. It's mildly entertaining. Very very mildly.

I prefer the real world. This place is great and a wonderful website. Make no mistake about it. But it's an elective for me, not my primary course.

[edit on 12-12-2008 by ConservativeJack]