I can’t say I’ve been using Lemmy for long, but from the get-go it seems that the communities, memes, opinions that get upvoted seem to reflect left-wing ideas.

I’m certainly not complaining, it honestly feels like a breathe of fresh air compared to other social media sites that seem to shift further and further to the far right, though I am curious to hear why this might be the case? Does FOSS tend to attract more left-wing minded people, or does this just happen to be a broadly left-wing microcosm/bubble?

Hope you all have a great day.

  • bean@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Education.

    No for real, a lot of right-wing thinking comes from just parroting disinformation and being in their own echo chamber circles.

    Educated people are more likely to ‘lean left’:

    Environment: Higher education institutions often emphasize critical thinking, questioning of traditional norms, and exposure to diverse perspectives. This can lead individuals to adopt more progressive or liberal views.

    Diversity: College and university settings are typically more diverse, exposing students to different cultures, ideas, and lifestyles.

    Rationalism: Educated individuals may place a higher value on scientific reasoning and empirical evidence, which can align more with policies and positions typically associated with the left, such as support for climate change action and public health initiatives.

    Perspective: Higher education can lead to an understanding of economic inequality and systemic issues. Educated individuals might support policies aimed at reducing inequality and improving social welfare.

    Career: Many educated individuals work in fields such as academia, healthcare, and social services, where left-leaning values like equity, public good, and social justice are prevalent.

    Generational: Younger generations, who are more likely to be college-educated today than in the past, tend to have more progressive views on social issues, such as LGBTQ+ rights and racial equality.

    Education is also ‘pushed’ by a lot of adults when I was a kid. I thought it was kinda normal / lame because duh, of course it’s important. I didn’t get grasp deepl WHY until I was older and realized it’s really a root causal issue of today’s problems.

    • CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Educated people are more likely to ‘lean left’

      I would qualify that as “Educated people with a conscience and a good ethical or moral base”.

      There are plenty of very smart, very evil right wingers out there.

      • bean@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Mitch McConnell, Manchin, Shkrelli, Ben Shapiro… I suppose you have a point.