It started as a low-tech online message board where people shared funny memes. Then users of 4chan began testing their influence offline, identifying targets for comeuppance and demonstrating against them. But some used the site to organize hacking attacks for social action, which drew the attention of the FBI. Others found an unchecked platform for extremism which eventually led to insurrection.
The Netflix documentary The Antisocial Network: From Memes to Mayhem chronicles the rise of 4chan, from its early days as a snarky imageboard to a home for the hacktivists of Anonymous and conspiracy theorists of QAnon. It not only examines its grip on users stuck in its infinite scroll, but also its real life effects on technology, politics, and society.
In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini.
SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Antisocial Network yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.
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The Antisocial Network: From Memes to Mayhem | You Can’t Make This Up podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
