40 Times People Were Unbelievably Stupid, As Shared By This Online Group
InterviewIt can get weird and dangerous out there, in the vast wilds of the internet. You’d best take a few Pandas with you for safety!
The internet and social media aren’t inherently good or evil: they’re tools that we use however we want to and they double as mirrors of us as a society. Suddenly, online anonymity can seem both a blessing and a curse while the freedom of expression bumps into some serious trouble where fake news is concerned.
So it’s no wonder that from the moment that you log on in the morning and the second you log out at night that your experience is likely to be a mixed bag of good, bad, and straight-up ugly posts. Those last two categories? That’s where the r/insanepeoplefacebook subreddit shines the brightest.
A community of nearly 2.1 million members, ‘Insane People Facebook’ collects (yup, you guessed it!) the most ‘insane’ posts on Facebook and beyond. We’ve collected some of the best of the worst of social media to share with you today, dear Readers, so grab yourself a bucket full of popcorn because the ride’s going to be wild.
Bored Panda reached out to the r/insanepeoplefacebook moderator team to learn more about the community from the perspective of those who actually manage the day-to-day. Two members of the team, both with four years of experience, were kind enough to open up about the subreddit. One of the moderators told me that the subreddit "was meant to be a collection of insane submissions to social media." Meanwhile, the second moderator, Merari01, said that the subreddit is fun and "it's great to see how successful it has become over the years."
Read on for our full interview with the two moderators and how the 2016 US presidential election changed the online group.
This post may include affiliate links.
What About Nurses Who Wear Them 10 Hours A Day!?
A representative of r/insanepeoplefacebook told Bored Panda that the founder of the community isn't as active as they were before, meaning a new generation of moderators has taken over. "I was not personally involved in making the subreddit but the person who was isn't active much anymore," they said. One of the things that truly made the subreddit take off was the presidential election in the United States in 2016 when Republican Donald Trump won against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"I've been here for four years or thereabout when we had 300k subscribers. The community has grown rapidly since the 2016 election and now has 2 million subscribers. It's become much more political over time as well," the mod said.
Your First Defense
According to the moderator, the vast number of members means the subreddit can get incredibly busy. However, the moderators also have to deal with people from other communities as well. "The subreddit can get very busy just because of the number of people who use it. Our biggest challenge is generally interference from other communities but we do have tools that deal with that. That's probably our biggest challenge," they said.
"It's a fun subreddit to moderate because our users are very engaged. Never a dull moment," they added.
Walmart Is All Out Of Fs To Give
Meanwhile, a second moderator, redditor Merari01 shared that they'd been chosen to join the mod team the very same day as the other redditor. "The subreddit has gotten a lot more busy since then and like most everything else since 2016 can get pretty partisan at times. The team moderates fairly and equitably within the existing ruleset. One thing we do not allow is when people try to use the subreddit to post something racist or bigoted and that's something we look out for," they shared.
What's more the redditor's very enthusiastic about the fact that r/insanepeoplefacebook has inspired the creation of other similar online groups. "It's great! It's a measure of success when a subreddit branches off into other communities."
In Merari01's opinion, moderators are as busy as they want to be. There's always work to be done if you're looking for some. "You can micromanage and check every comment made, but who has the time for that?" they said. "Mostly we check the queue and the front page of the subreddit. We're all experienced enough to see when a post is made that will likely attract problem comments. In that case, we often choose to lock the post. We're all volunteers here who moderate as a fun hobby and no-one wants to continuously press F5 to stay on top of rulebreaking material in that case," they said.
This Anti Vaxxer Trying To Stop Her Son From Getting Vaccinations Himself
Fact Check
A FASHION LINE WORTH OVER 200 MILLION SHOULDNT EVEN BE THE POINT HERE, PRIDE OF KNOWING THAT YOUR CHILD IS HAPPY IN THERE OWN SKIN WITH THERE OWN LIFE, THAT SHOULD BE THE POINT, AND IN MY OPINION ITS BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE WORST OF HOMOPHOBICS ARE NORMALLY PROVEN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THERE OWN SEXUALITY
Excellent Reply By The Doctor To This Antivaxx Piece Of S**t
"We have an experienced team that communicates with each other about moderation and policy issues and our community can be funny and empathetic. Like with all social media it has its downsides in that sometimes negative things get posted but all in all the good far outweighs the bad," they shared with Bored Panda that communication is the bedrock that helps the subreddit work well.
Founded back in 2015, the ‘Insane People Facebook’ subreddit recently celebrated its 6th birthday. In that time, it’s grown to a tremendous size. What’s more, it’s even inspired the genesis of some other similar subreddits that are following in its footsteps.
For instance, like Bored Panda wrote in September, the ‘Insane People Quora’ subreddit branched off from r/insanepeoplefacebook after there was a sharp rise in Quora-related content being posted on the sub.
The founder of ‘Insane People Quora’ shared with me that r/insanepeoplefacebook is a “catch-all for social media insanity.” However, with more Quora content being posted there, there was a demand for a separate subreddit. A place that could exclusively focus on Quora and nothing else.
The Burn Of The Highest Order
this often seems to be an argument from anti-vaxxers. What about clothes Rebecca?
Large Yikes
A Lot Of People Actually Retweeted It
Note that this guy is one of the heads of the proud boys. Nick Fuentes. Definitely a very confused person. Since he's brown.
"I saw a comment suggesting there should be a specific one for Quora as it's quite different to standard social media (having Q&As only) and decided to make it from there. Getting the first few thousand members took a while with crossposting Quora posts I found to r/insanepeoplefacebook. Some reached the front page of Reddit which is when the sub started seeing a large increase in numbers and became self-sustaining, meaning I didn't need to post as much to keep the sub going," the founder of ‘Insane People Quora’ spoke to Bored Panda about their relationship with r/insanepeoplefacebook.
One of the biggest perks and drawbacks of social media is the ability to post things online anonymously. The positive side of this is that people are far less afraid about sharing their honest opinions. The negative, however, is identical: people are far less afraid about sharing their honest opinions.
So while some might feel empowered by this, others hide in the shadows to spread hate, vitriol, and misinformation. British comedy writer Ariane Sherine told Bored Panda that anonymity is a tool like all others. Everything depends on how we use it.
"We feel freer to say things we wouldn't say in real life, but that also means we're more likely to be hurtful. I think the same is true of being on stage for comics—when we're holding the mic we feel free to dispense with niceties," Ariane explained to Bored Panda that anonymity can empower people. Whether for good or for ill.
Why Do People Hate Helping Others? It's Insane
The republican party not only doesn't want to help people, they don't want anyone else helping people either.
Oh My God
Yep, No White Peoples Can Learn Spanish!
Meanwhile, Steven Wooding, a member of the Omni Calculator Project team and the Institute of Physics in the UK told Bored Panda that the internet itself “can be both” good and evil. Inherently, however, it is neither. It’s a tool that helps us understand who we are as individuals and as a society.
"The internet reflects the world around it, so everything you find in the world will also appear on the internet. I see it as a great shortcut to information (gone are the days of having to visit a library) that can speed up your learning and ability to do things," Steven said that we should have a realistic view of the internet and what can be done with it.
Build That Wall!
"yeah Italy is the country I was talking about, you guys just hop over the ocean to come steal our jobs!"
My Friend Is So Smort
people like this don't deserve to go to the hospital if they contract covid
Is This Even A Question?
ah yes the people in our society who need extra care and support obviously should be paid less
One of the main issues with social media has to do with the proliferation of fake news. As misinformation spreads, it becomes harder to fight back against it. Lee McIntyre from Boston University told Bored Panda what role repetition plays in all of this and why media literacy is of paramount importance.
"Repetition is important in making us believe things, whether they are true or not. There is a cognitive bias called the 'illusory truth effect' which is when we are repeatedly exposed to false information over and over and, over time, it begins to seem more plausible," Lee said.
Nervous Charlie Hebdo Screams
No Respect For Elders Anymore
Cnn Is Not Messing Around
"Social psychologists have known since the 1960s that repetition works, for truth or falsity. In fact, this idea goes back to Plato who said that it didn't hurt to repeat a true thing. And of course, for falsehood, this was one of the main propaganda tactics in Nazi Germany, where Hitler's propaganda minister understood the 'repetition effect.'”
In Lee’s opinion, we should focus on separating the wheat from the chaff and finding those online sources that can be trusted more than others.
If You’re Going To Bring Up Hitler, Do Your Research
It's A Tornado Drill
There is only one Mekka to pray towards, so at least one row of kids is wrong.
It’s The Principle Though
"It would be exhausting to fact check every single news item we hear. In fact, insisting on this degree of skepticism is something that demagogues use to get us to be cynical, because when we doubt that it is possible to know the truth—even when it is staring us in the face—we are riper to their manipulation. So I'd say the best thing with news is to do a little investigation into finding a reliable source," he said.
I’m At A Loss For Words On This One
of course they aren't, there native to Antarctica. I figured everyone knew that
I realize the OP is a dumb cluck, but he is only off the mark by about 14,000 years. Anthropologists have long said that the first humans in the Americas traversed the Bering strait during the Ice Age. (Migrations from Greenland and the Artic regions came later.) The Beringian claim has been supported through linguistics and DNA. Mongolian newborns have a blue spot at the base of their spine that fades within the first year or so. My nephew, 3rd generation from Mexico, also had the Mongolian blue spot on his spine when he was born.
Load More Replies...Still not as bad as when the Trump Trash were screaming at Native Americans to go back to where they came from....
its funny that they dont see the irony i mean their family ay some point were immigrants and they are telling native people to go back where they came from
Load More Replies...Well- If they're talking about like- 15,000 years ago then Ig they're right?
Yes, but something tells me that's not what they meant.
Load More Replies...I read it several times, and I think I lost brain cells each time.
Load More Replies...yeah... they come from Asia first... before that from Europe... before that Africa... before that from the big spaceship who drop then on earth.
I saw someone on TV and debated "native American" or "Oriental", by name, the latter.
Load More Replies...I think that hat on his head tells you just how much thinking tis man is capable of
My dad tries to use this same kind of argument. "No humans are native to the Americas. Humans migrated from Eurasia." Yes, I've facepalmed hard every time he's said this. I haven't had the courage to correct him. Thankfully he hasn't said any of this in public yet.
They supposedly came across from Asia when the two continents were connected near what is now Russia and Alaska.
Well, if you dig really deep you can claim that no one is native to their land, except Africans...
I mean he did say native with a small n. Usually when you mean the groups like the Sioux or Cherokee you say Native with a capital N. Native with lowercase n usually means things that literally originate somewhere, like native plants or animals. He could be talking about European immigrants for all we know. Or he could be referring to how everyone originated in what is now Africa?
Technically no group is native to the land they reside on now. There have been too many migrations over time.
They are native to Syberia, if want to look at that in retrospective
Actually he’s correct. Nobody is “native” to anywhere except Africa, where our species started. “Native Americans came here from somewhere else.
They were native to Asia before crossing the land bridge during the last ice age. But, hey, humanity moves around
It is strange that rednecks are so proud of their country while they descend from people originally not from that country. But, to be fair, cave people origined in africa. It's complex
If you go back far enough its true but also when u go back that far neither are Europeans to Europe
Maybe Not "Insane" But I Thought It Was Pretty Funny And I Wanted To Share
Guess Kelly Was Too Busy Licking Boots To Realize Her Mistake
"Look for an organization that does investigative journalism (and doesn't just repeat information from other sources), double sources its quotations, discloses conflicts of interest, etc. Once we've found that we can relax a bit and trust the reporting behind the stories. Do we still need to be on guard? Yes. Even The New York Times can make mistakes. Or individual reporters can have biases. But that doesn't mean 'all sources are equal.'"
It's A Tragic Day For All Of Us
Seems Pretty Nuts To Me
Sweet Mother Of God
If anyone doubted that rich people get their way paid through school, Donald Trump should've undone all that doubt.
Lee also gave Bored Panda a list of questions we should ask ourselves to test the truthfulness of a source. "There are various sources for media literacy that can help. They teach this to KIDS in Finland! It's easy to learn. Is the story copyrighted? Is it dated? Is there a byline? Are other stories by the author solid? Is it published in a source that has been reliable in the past? Does it seem plausible— if not then you can do some research," he said.
Bruh
Did You Know Baby Boomers Share Almost 7x As Much Disinformation On Social Media Than Other Adults?
If You Have To Lie To Prove A Point, You've Already Lost The Argument
For Real ?!
Imagine Being Proud Of Posting This
Please be kind to food service workers. There are a lot of shortages, including a massive shortage of patience from customers. And for the love of whatever you find sacred, remember that you are one of dozens if not hundreds of people they will have to deal with in a day. Imagine dealing with whatever level of anger you're bringing in multiplied by that many people, then decide if you could handle that. If not, show a little extra compassion.
She Did, In Fact, Forget
One Of The Coldest Takes I’ve Seen This Month
The ageism and ableism in that response comment is absolutely sickening.
Slavery Wasn't Bad! Grandpa Loved Knocking Up The Help
Depression Is A Phase
be an actual f*****g parent and support your child/send him to therapy, if you can't, give him to someone who will
Imagine Not Knowing That Puddles Are Normal
Cut My Life Into Pieces
Note: this post originally had 59 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Ugh, I'm so depressed after these! I need to find one of those cute puppy posts...
Load More Replies...Note: Not all religious people are idiots. Most of us think for ourselves and such. But the loud minority gets all the attention, giving us a bad reputation.
With any group, it's the extremists who get the publicity.
Load More Replies...Can we get actually funny stuff on BP instead of “haha anti Vaxer dumb funny” it’s getting old. HERE COME THE DOWN VOTES RUN FOR COVER MEN
uh im a non American, why do people hate trump so much? is he anti vax or something? ive seen like 5 of his tweets here
Wow! Many of these just infuriated me, and many were just to much idiocies to even comment on!!!!
With all the respect possible: You do know that your last few sentences sound like white guys in America talking about how black people are "taking over", right?
Load More Replies...Ugh, I'm so depressed after these! I need to find one of those cute puppy posts...
Load More Replies...Note: Not all religious people are idiots. Most of us think for ourselves and such. But the loud minority gets all the attention, giving us a bad reputation.
With any group, it's the extremists who get the publicity.
Load More Replies...Can we get actually funny stuff on BP instead of “haha anti Vaxer dumb funny” it’s getting old. HERE COME THE DOWN VOTES RUN FOR COVER MEN
uh im a non American, why do people hate trump so much? is he anti vax or something? ive seen like 5 of his tweets here
Wow! Many of these just infuriated me, and many were just to much idiocies to even comment on!!!!
With all the respect possible: You do know that your last few sentences sound like white guys in America talking about how black people are "taking over", right?
Load More Replies...