Have you noticed the effects of dystopia yet? (lemmy.world)

submitted 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) by Zeon@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Hello,

I was with my brother and his group of friends, and one of his friends was talking about various drugs. My brother told him, "Shut up, you're going to put us on a watchlist," and he said it in a serious tone. It felt pretty dystopian when he said that; honestly, it was a bit eerie, mostly because he's being controlled and self-censoring without anyone there, and he seems to be aware of the freedom he's giving up, yet he continues to act this way. I've talked to my brother about privacy and why it's important many times, but he would rather live this type of controlled life and doesn't care because "they already know everything about me anyway." He's in his early 20s.

Has anyone else had moments like this?

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 13 hours ago

I started thinking my internet comms would get me on a list during W’s term. My political leanings have only traveled Left since then. I’m not going to be on one of the first lists: that honor goes to Trans people, then some others, but I’ll be on one of the “when we get around to it” lists.

But the level of self-censorship and the degree of paranoia (nobody cares about drugs unless you’ve got them or you’re talking about distribution) is concerning. Maybe try to find out why he cares that much. I agree with a sibling comment about possible mental health issues to assess. I was early twenties when my bipolar was diagnosed.

[-] FeloniousPunk@lemmy.today 4 points 6 hours ago

It’s funny you mention that. I had a blog during the W years and often posted questionable content about the administration. One day while reviewing logs, I noticed a LOT of traffic that resolved to Arlington VA. I toned it down after that, as I wasn’t keen on spooks crawling up my ass.

Self censorship is a topic that turns cold when you realize you’re making yourself a very real target.

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

Eh, we had a CEO get murdered, a terrorist attack, and a performance art/explosion combo at a Trump Hotel all in the last few weeks.

I'm not 100% sure there are watchlists at this point.

this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025

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