

While not the point of this thread, just wanted to note for anyone struggling, themselves or someone they care about, there are lots of resources for addiction out there. Many of them free.
A treatment center can be a safe place to get clean and gain some knowledge, but it is a lifelong struggle for most who have addiction issues. Going into a treatment center does not “cure” most.
Please seek out help, even if you do not have insurance or are unable to go to a treatment center.
This seems like an extension of social media and the internet. Weird people who talked at the bar or in the street corner were not taken seriously and didn’t get followers and lots of people who agree with them. They were isolated in their thoughts. Then social media made that possible with little work. These people were a group and could reinforce their beliefs. Now these chatbots and stuff let them liv in a fantasy world.