- Change my mind: pancakes all day.

What up world?

Myles Bess, here.

Journalists, host and World star story.

World star.

Now, I don't need to tell y'all that people love to argue online and I'm here for it.

I am petty.

I am petty.com, .org .net .gov I personally waste hours just scrolling through Twitter fights and watching people roast each other on Tik TOK.

It's almost like my part-time job.

My full-time job is working here.

(chimes) But this all got me wondering.

Do online arguments, actually get people to change their minds?

You guys get it.

I mean, sometimes you just come across a post where someone is just saying some real wild stuff and it's just like what?

White Mamba is the GOAT.

LeBron who?

What?

How can you think... What?

And clearly it bothers me enough to stop and consider.

Do I post something to educate this fool?

I mean, I'll potentially waste my time or do I just silently rage and let this comment go unchecked.

Now, I'm sure it's no surprise to you that generally speaking, people suck way more online than they do in real life.

Except politicians.

They're definitely worse in real life, but science actually has an explanation about why we behave badly online.

We did a whole video about it.

You should check it out or don't.

I really don't care.

I mean, I don't even work here.

(echoing) My full-time job... Is working here.

(chimes) But basically, there's a whole bunch of things unique to the internet that make people do stuff that they just wouldn't do in real life.

Like the fact that you can just post something and not deal with the consequences.

It's like the internet is a club with no bouncer.

[Miles] It doesn't matter if you're that hot chick or that random dude and flip flops, everybody gets in and there will probably be a fight at some point.

And when it comes to arguing specifically, and research shows, we actually get a dopamine and adrenaline rush when we win.

So, our brains can get addicted to being right.

So given all this, it may seem like it's totally pointless to try to change someone's mind online, but it's not.

(gasps) You mean people have actually changed their minds online?

How does that work?

Allow me to introduce you to the Change my View Sub Reddit.

(angelic music) This Sub Reddit currently has 1.4 million members.

That's almost as much as us.

That's so crazy.

It was created back in 2013 by Cal Turnbull, a 17 year old at the time.

And the premise is real simple.

If you're actually open to changing your mind about something you just post a view you have and why you have it.

And then the people in the community try to convince you to think differently.

If someone's mind gets changed, they award the winning argument with the Delta.

The Greek symbol for change and fun fact, it's also the Greek symbol for whoo!

That was my frat boy impersonation.

(crickets chirping) Thank you.

And there's like no limit when it comes to topics you can debate on there.

I mean, there's like the random stuff: Magneto was right.

Mutans can't coexist with humans.

To your traditional hot button topics like: vaccination rates would be higher in the US if Trump had won the presidency.

Or my personal favorite: cash or money should be acceptable Christmas gifts.

I mean, I sure want them to be.

But what's even more out-of-pocket is that sometimes people actually change their minds on here.

How's that even possible?

Well, for starters, there's a strict set of guidelines to participate in the community and it's heavily moderated.

You have to post the reason you hold your view and you have to be willing to respond to people within three hours, and you have to be respectful.

(singing) Now illegally, I can't finish the song.

But what actually gets people to change their mind on here Like what is, what does it, that's a question that researchers at Cornell decided to ask back in 2016.

Chenhao Tan, who is now an assistant professor at the University of Chicago was the lead researcher on the project.

- So we decided to to kind of leverage this community and use the data said of you can think of like all the argument that people have had on this community and try to use that to reason about what makes an effective argument.

- And here's some of my biggest takeaways from our conversation.

Number one: it's good to have several rounds of back and forth, but if you get past round five game over, Game over.

Do not pass go.

Do not collect $200.

You do not win.

Number two: You're more likely to change someone's mind if you are presenting a totally different viewpoint.

Like something the other person hasn't really thought about before.

You know what I mean?

So if someone's like, superhero movies aren't real cinema because it's not real art.

You might be more likely to change their mind, if you go with something like: (clears throat) cinema isn't just supposed to be about art.

It's also designed to entertain and superhero movies entertain.

Versus an argument where it's like superhero movies are artsy because... And apparently citing links and research (gasps) can actually help people change their mind.

Who would've 'thunk' it?

And get this.

The researchers actually figured out that if someone is using the Royal 'we' instead of 'I' then they're probably not going to change their minds.

- The real author is not associating this opinion with themselves.

They are not taking the responsibility of having their opinion.

They kind of associate always to the broader community that they are part of.

So it's very hard to change that kind of opinion.

- So I look for, we accept after me.

Now it's important to keep in mind that these conversations were happening in the internet Utopia of Changed My View Sub Reddit, (angelic music) where people are open to changing their minds.

But what about the rest of the internet wasteland?

Well, some of the takeaways from Chenhao study can probably work outside of that Sub Reddit, too.

But, I think it's important to point out that winning or changing someone's mind doesn't need to be the end goal.

You can still have a productive and meaningful conversation with someone you disagree with and not changing their mind.

Shouldn't it be about the journey and not the destination?

Well, that's easier said than done.

So, how can you even do that?

Well, there's a lot of different advice out there, but I want to focus on this dope cheat sheet I found from an organization in New Zealand and who better to keep the peace online than New Zealand, I mean, New Zealand is after all the second, most peaceful country in the world.

Only out pieced by Iceland.

What's even in Iceland?

- This holiday season, come visit Iceland, yeah?

Iceland, where you can just chill out.

(giggles) Get it?

Because we have ice?

But essentially to keep the peace online with disagreeing, with someone these Kiwis recommend to: one, stay calm.

Two: don't get personal.

Three: use ''I statements.

Four: actually listen to the other point of view.

And if you have a tough time remembering, just think Dua Lipa.

You see like the S and then the, it worked better in my head.

I'm sorry.

Sorry about that.

Allow me to demonstrate, though.

(slurps) - White Mamba is the best basketball player of all time.

(ding) - No.

(sigh) - Aqua Otis (typing) White Mamba never had any playing time.

- But... (typing) White Mamba?

(ding) - But if you're not playing in the game, how can you be the best player?

- What is the topic?

What are you... white Mamba?

(ding) - I just don't think you can be the GOAT.

(typing) If you're not scoring.

(claps) - What?

white Mamba is the best.

- Okay.

(ding) I hear you on that.

Maybe let's just agree to disagree.

- You still on to watch the game tonight?

(ding) - Oh yeah, for sure.

(typing) And I'll bring my vegan wings.

(ding) - Vegan wings?

- So in conclusion it is possible to win an argument online, but maybe that shouldn't always be the point.

At the end of the day, isn't it all about connecting on our common humanity?

But if the conversation goes too far, you can also protect your peace, you know, bow out.

Or if you need to block somebody, block them and book that flight to Iceland.

And with that, I'm curious.

Do you have any tips on how to engage in respectful disagreements online?

Anything you've found that works or doesn't work?

Anyways, I'm your host.

Myles Bess Peace out.

(music fades)