CultNEWS101 Articles: 6/25/2024
Patrick Ryan
" ... A new study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships explored this issue by examining how the algorithms driving social media platforms like Instagram affect feelings of loneliness among users. The findings provide evidence that perceptions of social media algorithms are linked to feelings of loneliness.
The research was motivated by the increasing prevalence of loneliness alongside the rise of social media use. Over the past decade, the U.S. has seen a steady increase in both loneliness and the use of platforms like Instagram. Some researchers argue that social media contributes to a loneliness epidemic by displacing face-to-face interactions, while others believe it provides new opportunities for connection.
The relationship between social media use and loneliness remains highly debated, with mixed findings suggesting both positive and negative effects. This study aimed to clarify this complex relationship by focusing on the role of social media algorithms, which curate content based on user engagement and are integral to the user experience on platforms like Instagram."
"It's been nine months since a cult moved into the small southwest Saskatchewan village of Richmound. And some say the community has never been more divided.
"Some people seem to feel the right to mistreat other people. We're losing our sense of taking care of each other," said resident Gordon Ziegler.
In September, a group calling itself the "Kingdom of Canada" set up camp in an old school in the small village — about 65 kilometres northwest of the town of Maple Creek, near the Saskatchewan-Alberta border. They were invited by the owner of the building.
Leader Romana Didulo is known as a far-right QAnon conspiracy theorist. She has declared herself the "Queen of Canada." Since the group moved into the village, they have called for public execution of elected officials and other members in and around Richmound.
Ziegler said tensions are extremely high in the community, and that many no longer feel safe there.
"It feels like we're living next to a dormant volcano," Ziegler said. "We know what they have been guilty of in the past."
In February 2022, Didulo and her followers arrived in Ottawa for what was called the "Freedom Convoy" where attendees protested COVID-19 mandates. Mere months before the convoy protest, Didulo had told her followers through Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, to "shoot to kill" anyone who administers vaccines to children.
Then in August 2022, Didulo's followers attempted to take over the police station in Peterborough, Ont., and perform citizen's arrests on officers after Didulo encouraged people associated with QAnon to do so. It was part of her campaign to demand an end to COVID-19 restrictions.
"We're afraid of them. We live next to them and we're afraid that the volcano is going to explode and we're living with that every day," Ziegler said."
"Philip and Stacie wrote about a recent reparations program meant to address complaints made for decades against 3HO."
"Narangkar is an artist who grew up in 3HO (Healthy, Happy Holy Organization), which is connected to Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma.
Narangkar and her two sisters navigated a troubling childhood during their time within the group that included neglect, child-swapping, violence and a traumatizing stay at a harsh boarding school in India.
This episode contains disturbing descriptions of child abuse and death. It serves as a companion to the next episode coming up on Generation Cult discussing a 2024 3HO reparations program."
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