I was looking at some pictures of the Jan 6 mob

[captain queeg]

Seemed like in every picture all of them were holding out their cell phones. Some even during the physical battles. Obviously that's stupid when breaking the law, but it just brings home to me how many people spend much of there time on social media. Its no wonder they are all so brainwashed. They live in an alternate reality.

[Wingus Dingus]

1. For many, that was the point. They want to feel like they're living in a movie--

they want to feel like they're participating, that they're heroes. Complete fucking sad sacks.

[eleny]

2. I think they believed that they would prevail

So their videos would give them future bragging rights.

[redstatebluegirl]

3. I have worked with college age young people

most of my career. Those phones are an appendage for them, they freak out if you even ask them to turn them off for class.

[Wingus Dingus]

15. My husband works with a number of people in their 30's and younger--

they never put the phones down even at work. When he speaks to them, whether for important matters or polite small talk, they look up from their phones and look annoyed, like they're barely tolerating the disruption, and as soon as he's done talking they look at their phones again. He's not their supervisor, so he can't say anything. But he's pretty down on the millennials and younger generation and their rudeness and lack of social skills, even though we have sons who also can't put down their phones (although not at work).

[brooklynite]

4. In fairness, I don't think that's unique to Trumpists.

During the George Floyd protests, there were plenty of people with cameras out.

[Elessar Zappa]

9. Yeah but

these people were committing crimes. Why would they be so stupid as to document it?

[brooklynite]

10. Because they didn't believe they were committing crimes.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

18. Bingo!

[viva la]

13. It's good to film when cops might be getting violent

These people at the Capitol wanted to film their own violence.

It's all "performative" to them. They learned that from Trump.

[magicarpet]

5. Reality TV,.... These Fascist trumpets are the stars of the show. Maybe I will be nominated,....

.....for an Emmy Award.

Look,.. Look,... See me being a patriot of the Fascist AmeriKKKan ReTHUGlican Nazi Party.

Watch us own the Libs and make them cry.

[LakeArenal]

6. They didn't think what they were doing was illegal.

“Their” prezdent told them to fight for him.
So they did. If it had worked, they’d be heroes not goats.

[KS Toronado]

7. They wanted to be able to prove to their friends on facebook

that they were entitled to the Medal of Freedom Badge their Lord & Savior Der Orange Führer
was going to bestow on everyone who helped him become our Fascist King.

[RussBLib]

8. so many of them were missing teeth

The dregs of humanity, and that's the kind of people T**** attracted.

[Grasswire2]

16. aw, that remark is beneath you.

Plenty of poor folk and seniors are missing teeth and have no dental insurance or resources. That's just the way things are, right now.

Medicare for all, with dental coverage, would end that health issue.

[sanatanadharma]

11. The modern phone is a tool, as a gun is said to be

The problems arise when one confuses and mixes up one's essential-self with the paraphernalia of one's desires.

No one acts without the expectation of desired results. Who will engage in actions towards a goal that is known to unachievable?
Again, the problems arise when people incorrectly impose their fantasy lives upon objective reality.
"I want" overwhelms "I know" and "I know" is mistaken for "I feel".
Some live in fear of snakes in the grass, when the reality is simply that they are looking at lost lanyards on the lawn.

When one is motivated to save children from being eaten by their democratic neighbors, no action is likely to solve the imagined but not-real problem. Those living in delusion can never see through the illusions of their their own discomforted minds and thus never achieve piece of mind, heart and being.

[viva la]

14. I still wonder--

Do they REALLY think their neighborhood Democrats are eating children?

Or maybe just other Democrats elsewhere?
Or maybe it's all just a big horror movie in their heads... not really real, but emotionally thrilling.

[3Hotdogs]

12. They were showing Mom, brother, sister or squeeze

what they’re doing for the country.

In most cases, the brother or sister and squeeze were the same.

[Hugin]

17. I've been pondering the audiences these people believe they have...

I think it's a delusion.

Nobody is watching.

They are feeding their own feelings of self importance.

Y'know the whole if a tree falls in the forest and there's no-one there to hear it thing.

Maybe this is the cause of the escalation in cray cray. It takes more to get noticed now than even a few months or years ago for the vain.