It is a means of communication that can invoke a strong emotional response. Mainly cause it's visual. A movie might make a good point or make you feel sympathetic. But it is hard to build up a rational, logic argument. It's all feel.
The emotional response takes away from rational processing of the information.
A great example is the 1960 kennedy v. nixon debate. Nixon was doing well. He showed up sick, with a dark suit. Kennedy was young and handsome in a blue suit. It's hard to really listen to someone that looks bad.
The internet is an extension of TV in that regard.
HN is one of the few forums that you can have some serious conversations. In part because of the audience, but also in part of the format. There are no emojis, or gifs or pictures, nothing shiny to distract.
It's just text on a screen.
EDIT: Neil Postman is a great resource and describes it much better than I can
The emotional response takes away from rational processing of the information. A great example is the 1960 kennedy v. nixon debate. Nixon was doing well. He showed up sick, with a dark suit. Kennedy was young and handsome in a blue suit. It's hard to really listen to someone that looks bad.
The internet is an extension of TV in that regard.
HN is one of the few forums that you can have some serious conversations. In part because of the audience, but also in part of the format. There are no emojis, or gifs or pictures, nothing shiny to distract. It's just text on a screen.
EDIT: Neil Postman is a great resource and describes it much better than I can