Who Am I Supposed to Be Hating Now? A Forensic Look at Media-Driven Social Engineering
By Logan Scripted
In a now-viral Twitter thread one user encapsulated a quietly growing cultural anxiety in a single question:
“These days, I often find myself asking: Who am I meant to be hating now?”
What sounds like a throwaway joke is, in fact, a profound observation on the way modern societies are being socially engineered through a feedback loop of entertainment, media, and manipulated outrage.
“Ministry of Reality”
A two-panel cartoon showing an Orwellian control room broadcasting shows like “Love Island” and “The Apprentice,” alongside a family with glowing eyes watching a demagogue declare, “He speaks for YOU!”
Democracy as a Popularity Contest
In the video clip that sparked the thread, a bald, bespectacled commentator explains:
“One of the greatest weaknesses of democracy is that it’s essentially a popularity contest. That’s fine – IF a chunk of the population hasn’t been dumbed down to the intelligence of a potato.”
“The people Trump preys on are in a cult of delusion.”
The media doesn’t just report the news anymore. It manufactures emotion. It sells attention. And in doing so, it sells enemies.
The Architecture of Manufactured Hate
We are bombarded with daily cycles of moral panic. From migrants to vegans, drag queens to electric vehicles, the subject changes, but the structure doesn’t.
This cycle of outrage is not random. It’s algorithmic. It is engineered.
Proof:
- An MIT study showed that false political news spreads six times faster than the truth on Twitter.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook’s own internal research revealed that its algorithms were driving political polarisation.
And then there’s the Murdoch empire. In Australia, Sky News After Dark has essentially become a nightly program of emotional manipulation and scapegoating.
“Who Am I Meant to Be Hating Now?”
- A weary man sits before a wall of screens yelling about “Woke Teachers!” and “Trans Swimmers!” while a penguin assistant flips through a binder titled “Public Enemy Schedule – 2025 Edition.”
From News to Noise: Social Engineering Through Saturation
Reality TV and political commentary now blur into each other. Shows like “The Apprentice” (once a game show, now a political credential) have taught generations that cruelty = leadership, and ratings = legitimacy.
News anchors no longer act as gatekeepers of truth, but as arsonists lighting up the next outrage.
Influencers and outrage cycles:
- Far-right influencers use performative rage and pseudo-journalism to build followers and monetise fear.
- As seen in the recent embrace of Canadian anti-trans campaigner Billboard Chris by Sky News hosts like Rowan Dean, the pipeline from fringe outrage to mainstream exposure is lightning fast.
Orwell Had the Blueprint
Orwell warned us. But he didn’t just write about surveillance and censorship – he wrote about manufactured consensus and ritual hate.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
“The Two Minutes Hate was not about ideas. It was a display of emotion.”
Doesn’t that sound a little like the 6pm news these days?
The Way Out
So what do we do?
- Resist the outrage schedule. If you’re being told who to hate, ask who benefits.
- Be curious, not furious. Train your media literacy the same way you train your muscles.
- Support independent, ethical media. Even if it means paying for it.
- Laugh at the absurdity. Satire is a weapon.
“Ratings up. Thinking down.” – Ngarra-guyup-guyup
Conclusion:
The question “Who am I supposed to be hating now?” isn’t a sign of apathy. It’s a spark of awareness. Hold onto it.
Because in an era of algorithmic outrage, the real act of rebellion isn’t to yell louder. It’s to think deeper.
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First Rule (maybe?) To me is:
Anyone who slaughters babies and children has permission to be hated by the empathetic,moral,caring humans that spread across the World.
Anything between that and..:Those who use any human to hoard money and power must be suspected of Narcissistic, greedy behaviours.