on the subject of "do your own research", most research done on the internet is misleading. Your internet history is used to inform search results and suggestions, meaning that researching things on the internet generally leads to confirmation bias, because the algorithm wants to give you results that confirm your beliefs and keep you on the internet to generate add revenue, clicks, etc. Many people who do their own research through the internet are misled because of these factors, which cause more information dissonance and division as a result.
I'm sure most of you know this already but i felt like it had to be said. Pick up a book, and do your own research by going outside and talking to real people with real expertise in their fields.
I also don't think you can call someone misled by the internet evil or irredeemable. These traps are easy to fall into and we have to give each other grace if we want to move forward as a society.
This being said bad actors do exist and should be called out, but I don't think it's productive to assume that everyone who falls into disinformation is a bad actor or has bad intentions.
on CJ