Braden Matejka narrowly escaped the worst mass shooting in US history, and now he香蕉视频直播檚 weathering another threat.

The Okanagan man recently shut down all of his online accounts as the only way to gird himself against conspiracy theorists and internet trolls who are harassing him, said his older brother Brock Matejka.

Braden has been called a 香蕉视频直播渃risis actor香蕉视频直播� and a meme circulating in the days after he went public with his ordeal had the words 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 a lying c***t!香蕉视频直播� under his image. The vitriol ramped up in the days and weeks that followed and comments like 香蕉视频直播� I hope you really get shot in the head香蕉视频直播� became increasingly common.

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Shutting down his personal accounts wasn香蕉视频直播檛 his brother香蕉视频直播檚 first choice, said Brock. He tried to reason with the army of conspiracy theorists, but his efforts fell on deaf ears.

香蕉视频直播淚t bothers him, but he香蕉视频直播檚 trying to not really worry about what they have to say, too much,香蕉视频直播� said Brock. 香蕉视频直播淗e knows the keyboard warriors living in their grandmothers香蕉视频直播檚 basements have nothing better to do than victimize other people香蕉视频直播�. There香蕉视频直播檚 no talking to those people. They香蕉视频直播檙e so gone in the thought process, there香蕉视频直播檚 no reasoning with them.香蕉视频直播�

Plus, Braden has other things to worry about. The bullet that grazed his head caused a concussion and he香蕉视频直播檚 still suffering the symptoms.

香蕉视频直播淗is vision gets blurred and he has headaches, and that香蕉视频直播檚 going to take time to get over,香蕉视频直播� said Brock. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 still not working, but he has an evaluation coming up (next month) and then they香蕉视频直播檒l know for sure what香蕉视频直播檚 happening then.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 surreal, however, to those who love Braden that he香蕉视频直播檚 had this response as he香蕉视频直播檚 tried to heal.

香蕉视频直播淵ou don香蕉视频直播檛 get much more real and realistic than him,香蕉视频直播� Brock said of his brother.

According to an article published Friday in the Guardian, Braden isn香蕉视频直播檛 the only victim of the Las Vegas mass shooting dealing with a backlash.

It香蕉视频直播檚 an increasingly common event after a crisis unfolds and YouTube and various other social media destinations are rife with commentary about survivors from mass shootings being 香蕉视频直播渆mergency on-screen characters.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 an idea promoted by InfoWars personality Alex Jones. Through his radio show and website, Jones has claimed the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a 香蕉视频直播渇alse flag香蕉视频直播� operation and that Sept. 11 was an inside job by the government.

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While there have always been conspiracy theories, what香蕉视频直播檚 changed is the amount of tread these ideas are getting, said Andrew Irvine, a UBC Okanagan professor in math and philosophy.

香蕉视频直播淐onspiracy theories are driven by wanting a conclusion to be true rather than following the evidence where it leads,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淚f you are a dentist, you don香蕉视频直播檛 just put in fillings where you want. You do the work, take the X-Rays follow the evidence and then put in the fillings. The same goes when you are a police officer香蕉视频直播攜ou follow the evidence. 香蕉视频直播�

Humans have always relied on finding meaningful patterns in the world around us and making causal inferences. We sometimes, however, see patterns and causal connections that are not there, especially when we feel that events are beyond our control, he said.

Historically there were ways we could deal with that. We香蕉视频直播檇 turn to institutions we trust to guide us through the dark, but we as a society are deep in the throes of an information distribution shift and trust is becoming a rare commodity.

香蕉视频直播淚f conspiracy theories are going up in popularity it香蕉视频直播檚 in part because of a lack of trust in our institutions, like politicians, the media or (universities),香蕉视频直播� Irvine said.

香蕉视频直播淎 certain amount of skepticism is good and healthy in society but we need to have trust in our neighbours and our institutions to function.香蕉视频直播�

So what caused people en masse to turn away from the institutions that follow evidence?

香蕉视频直播淲e have new media香蕉视频直播攊n one sense it香蕉视频直播檚 wonderful, it香蕉视频直播檚 democracy in action and everyone can have a say. People can go online to start a website or a blog inexpensively,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淚n another way, we have to realize not all news is made equal. Some fact check, some don香蕉视频直播檛. And we have to understand the quality of output we are getting there.香蕉视频直播�

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kmichaels@kelownacapnews.com
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