Nick Carmody JD, MS Psych Profile picture
Dec 12, 2021 33 tweets 8 min read Read on X
Some thoughts/observations on a potentially complex interplay of sleep deprivation, social media/Facebook attention/addiction, the hijacking of the cerebral cortex (executive function/reason) by the amygdala (emotion), and personality trait-influenced fake news propagation. 1/
First, let’s start with sleep deficiency. While listening to @SamHarrisOrg’s podcast with sleep researcher Matthew Walker/@sleepdiplomat, something caught my attention about the effect of sleep deficiency on psychiatric disorders. 2/ samharris.org/podcasts/makin…
At the 1:27 mark, Walker explains his research findings on sleep and executive function/judgment/emotional reactivity (I cleaned it up to make it more readable): 3/ Image
The connection between sleep deficiency & anxiety….particularly the PTSD-like neurological profile….is especially interesting because it would seem to tie into, and be a compounding/exacerbating factor in another PTSD-like response to emotionally triggering political news: 4/
Specifically…..how the relentless manipulation of the neuropsychological "fight-or-flight" fear response creates PTSD-like, hyper-vigilance that causes people to see nearly everyone/everything as an enemy/threat, and to perceive minor threats through an existential lens: 5/
Keeping in mind the compounding, PTSD-like effect of lack of sleep, and the manipulation/exploitation of the neuropsychological fear response, let’s now focus on some of the relevant causes of lack of sleep. 14/
In October, a Facebook whistleblower warned of the addictive nature of Facebook’s algorithm. businessinsider.com/big-tech-addic…
But let’s hold off on thinking about the literal addiction component, and instead think about the effect of that algorithm: To keep people logged onto the site for as long as possible, b/c the longer each person is logged on, the more advertising money the company generates. 15/
Bringing this back to the issue of sleep, obviously if people are logged onto the site, they’re not sleeping.

But there’s also another factor:

Electronic screens give off blue light that disrupts the natural sleep-wake cycle by suppressing the body’s release of melatonin. 16/
This disruption of the natural sleep cycle can prevent people from being able to sleep for hours even after they have logged off of the site/device. 17/
Circling back to the addiction theme, I’ve analyzed how an addiction model may help explain political tribalism/radicalization. The more tribalized/radicalized a person is, the more time that person is likely to spend consuming political “news”. 18/
Regardless of whether the “addiction” is to Facebook’s algorithms, or to the actual subject matter (the political “maybes”)......19/

....the result is the same: A dysfunctional amount of time committed to the addictive behavior (and presumably a lack of sleep)……and the potential impairment of judgement/self-control/decision making.

More on this in a moment.

Let’s recap so far: 20/
Sleep deficiency correlates with anxiety/PTSD. Our political obsessions create an insatiable appetite (addiction?) for political news delivered by algorithm-addicting social media, read from sleep-depriving blue light emitting screens, or watched on blue light emitting TVs. 21/
Now let’s fold in a new study about ideology, personality, and the propensity to “share” (spread) Fake News:

(I condensed a screen shot of the article for brevity/efficiency of reading) 22/
psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-96…

digest.bps.org.uk/2021/12/08/con…
As the study above indicates, “low conscientious” conservatives were most likely to share fake news.

“Conscientiousness” is one of the personality traits in the Big Five theory of personality.....23/.... Image
“Conscientiousness”…..reflects the propensity to be self-controlled, responsible to others, hardworking, orderly, and rule abiding… to follow socially prescribed norms for impulse control…and to be able to delay gratification. 25/

(continued...)

oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/o…
Now let’s circle back to the addiction and sleep deficiency components……the pursuit of the addictive behavior (the dopamine component) impairs judgment, even in highly conscientious/responsible people. 26/
Similarly, sleep deficiency affects executive function (judgment) because it “shuts down the cerebral cortex”. In both case judgment (conscientiousness) is impaired, belief is distorted, and that distorted belief is broadcast.

So let’s now tie all of this together….
27/
….we live in a society where political anarchists use manipulation/exploitation of neuropsychological fight-or-flight fear responses to cause PTSD-like hyper-vigilance that is exacerbated by addiction to dopamine producing “political maybes” and social media algorithms….28/
….that create sleep deprivation……which reinforces the PTSD-like symptoms and impairs judgments/reason/self-control/responsibility….which results in “low conscientiousness”……which results in a higher likelihood of sharing “fake news”……29/
….which feeds the addiction for “political maybes” and conspiracy theories…..which exacerbates people’s PTSD-like hyper-vigilance….which prevents them from sleeping…..which causes them to consume and “share” (spread) more political (fake) “news”…..and rinse and repeat. 30/
For an interesting (bizarre) hypothetical neurobiological twist involving the amygdala & dopamine, and impaired judgment (low conscientiousness), read this thread on toxoplasmosis, & a potential hypothetical connection to political behavior.
Article version of the thread above (no paywall): patreon.com/posts/59842132
A relevant thread from an "integrity worker" on improving social media w/an urban planning-like approach using "integrity design", rather than suppression of content/speech.

Premise: We can't prevent forest fires, but we can mitigate the Santa Ana winds:

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More from @Nick_Carmody

Jun 8
A shape-shifting sociopath (Vance).......

.....vouches for immutable psychopath (Stephen Miller).

Let’s unpack.....

1/
@terrymoran’s observations about @StephenM are 100% accurate.

Miller substantiates Moran’s observations on a daily basis with his actions....and pathological gaslighting:



(“...because people like CNN want foreign terrorists in the country who kidnap women and children.”)

2/
Here is the actual Supreme Court order, and the quote from the 9-0 opinion.

“The order properly requires the government to facilitate Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador".

3/
supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf…
Read 13 tweets
Jun 2
Obligatory qualifier: Celebrating assassination culture is a symptom of a morally bankrupt, pathological society.

But....at best, this video is tone deaf to the primary source of the current pathology.....

And, at worst....it’s a deliberate attempt to gaslight.

Let’s unpack.....

1/
“Assassination culture” is fueled by:

1) The erosion of institutional trust.

...and...

2) Pathological populism.

No one has fed the populist uprising.....eroded more institutional trust.....and is more pathologically disordered...

....than Trump

2/
Image
AT :07 mark of the video in :“The murder of united healthcare CEO exposed a dangerous shift I societal norms”....

...and then asks: “How did this happen?”

3/
Read 27 tweets
May 21
@jordanbpeterson: Narcissists/psychopaths are taking over the “fringe” Right.

Apparently Peterson and @joerogan have issues with the “fringe” narcissists/sociopaths who are undermining the sociopathic/narcissist who they support: Trump.

Let’s unpack…

1/
One of things that is so mind-numbing about Peterson is his lack of self, and situational, awareness…..

.....which manifests in his inability to apply his analysis to himself (his projection of his own experiences/feelings onto Trump)….

2/
Image
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Image
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….as well as Peterson's inability to apply his analysis of Cluster B personality disorders to Trump.

3/

Read 43 tweets
May 15
Whether innate (sociopathy/sadism), learned, or performative...

...Noem mimics Stephen Miller's affectation, delivery...and cold, "reckless disregard for others".

Unfortunately, sociopathy is applauded and rewarded under Trump.

Let's review the El Salvador (and Libya) issue...

1/Image
In March, I analyzed the mass psychology of Trump defying Supreme Court orders:

2/
The thread analyzed the desensitization process that occurs when there is legal/psychological "precedent" of Trump committing an unconstitutional action.

3/
Image
Read 9 tweets
May 13
This was a topic of a @ProjectLincoln appearance (2022).

In the 3 years since this interview, Trump has become less clownish and more dangerous. Carlson/Bannon have less influence.

Vance & Stephen Miller have more influence.

Miller appears to be THE driving force behind Trump's agenda.

1/Image
There are several factors that come to mind:

1. The durability of the MAGA movement

2. The Trump effect on voter turnout

3. Voter loyalty, and the psychological/emotional investment to Trump versus Vance or another Republican/MAGA

4. First time voters

2/
As @WalshFreedom explained on @reedgalen's "The Home Front" podcast, the MAGA movement isn't going anywhere:

3/
reedgalen.substack.com/p/reed-galen-a…
Read 12 tweets
Mar 28
Some thoughts on the “constitutional crisis” of Trump inevitably defying Supreme Court orders, and thereby undermining the constitution’s separation of powers.

1/
Trump…but think more along the lines of Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Russ Vought (who I’ll be finishing analyses of at some point), etc…..

...is likely waiting for a “perfect” case to defy the Supreme Court.

2/
@MarshallHerskovitz frequently points out how the Right has become what they hated about the Left: moral relativists…

....and how the Right/Trump uses “morality” to gaslight the country in supporting amoral/immoral/illegal/unconstitutional actions.

3/
Image
Read 43 tweets

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