Social media is one hell of a drug. It’d have you swallowing giant gummy worms whole at the back of a sip’n’strut. Oh sure, the catharsis is nice, but at some point you’ll need to ask yourself “why are we like this?”
Lately I’ve been noticing how some comments make me want to exclaim “IT’S A TRAP!”. Obvious, open and quite frankly kinda basic baiting, like some disgruntled parent at a PTA, smacking his chest with his bare hand, telling another parent “cash me outside bro how bout dat?”
Like okay, this one comment was doing a set up where the intention was to either get someone to A) depose Hamas or B) defend Hamas, with the intent of jumping down someone’s throat.
Why are people like this, mommy? And why am I calling someone “mommy” on social media? Can’t we just make homemade cookies like we used to do on rainy nights, and be happy? And why is daddy always drinking the unhappy juice? I think I probably already answered that question…
Mommy, I want McDonald’s!!!
Because many people on social media are not here to experience a new perspective, they are here to lecture everyone else on how the world really works.
The reason for the bait replies are they want to be able to deliver the gotcha talking point they have heard somewhere else.
Why are people like this, mommy?
Often it is because the people involved have been shut down trying to lecture those around them on the same topics in real life but they still want to do it. They are not looking for conversation, they are looking for an audience to lecture at.
And why is daddy always drinking the unhappy juice?
Serious reply. Many people use alcohol to mask anxiety, especially men in societies that still hold on to the “Man must be stoic and strong at all times” horseshit.
Anxiety focused inward often manifests as depression.
Anxiety focused outward often manifests as aggression.
You’re speaking to an ex-alcoholic ^^ used to use it a social crutch, because I never really felt well in social situations. It became so bad that all my money went into bar hopping, and you’re definitely right: it was to “treat my anxiety”.
Anxiety really is one of the greatest issues of our times, isn’t it?
Anxiety really is one of the greatest issues of our times, isn’t it?
It always has been. I honestly think everyone (outside actual psychopaths) suffers from it to some degree at some point in their lives.
I, like you, used it to manage my own. I couldn’t be social without drinking…a lot. So glad those days a long gone.
…why did OP ask a real question, and then…just…devolve???
I’m not sure, but it was pretty amusing and I’m very much a fan
It was my attempt at writing a sub position from a place of a child, hopefully making the reader aware that "hey wait a minute… there might be kids on this platform?!?!
But I will admit, I did feel a little bit of deevolved when I called the entire comment section mommy.
It’s 6th grade all over again.
They are an extreme minority. Nearly all traffic is lurkers, tiny % engage. Of that small group a vast majority can communicate normally while a small part trolls for fun or spread their opinions. Kinda like society IRL.
Keep in mind too that people have different views on communication. Some people just want confirmation, others want people to just be honest. Then there are those that just want to explore all sides and will take the opposite side just to explore or at least to be more balanced. Then there are those that just want to troll.
For someone what just wants confirmation then all other points of view will appear to be confrontational. On the other hand there are real trolls too. So some of this is perspective and degree.
I don’t know bitch, you tell me!
Here’s a fantastic video on the topic of spreading ideas. It’s from CGP Grey and it’s about 6 minutes long.
Now keep one key thing in mind: social media algorithms feed on engagement (if people engage, it gets boosted) so the more engagement something gets the more it gets pushed to other’s feed. And as the video talks about, different emotions get different levels of engagement and levels of sharing.
Anger is the one that comes out on top, so anger is what gets the feedback loop really churning.
And if all you see on the Internet is enraging things, you start getting enraged faster and easier. For every idea there is, there’s another person out there who will get angry at the mention of it.
He does a great job explaining it in his video.
Oh dear that comment really gets me angry. How can you be so sensible on social media!!
/s
/s
How about you go fuck yourself, ever thought about that?
It’s funny with no real consequences or repercussions other than those who take the word of anonymous internet strangers seriously
Yes, but without the funny part
We are social creatures and there’s also loneliness epidemics popping everywhere, people are interacting less with people and interacting more with their opinion on the ideas of others.
While opinions are important to develop your own character and critical thinking skills, there’s an inherent competitive nature on social platforms, where having a winning argument has become the main goal, and opinions that others identify with, lead to further divisions, instead of making like-minded people gather.
Things do look grim for the future now that you’ll have AI running your echo chambers, distancing you from objective reality and just further isolating you into a self indulging solipsism.
So you ask, why are we like this? The truth is that it’s more economical and rewarding to find self validation by dismissing others. It requires less effort as you only establish a connection to hurt and mock. You don’t have to go through the effort of learning, teaching, helping and being helped.
Coming back to your example, we usually have a set of values, whether found through life or imposed by others, that we identify with, if we see something going against them we get frustrated and we want to do something about it, since most of us realistically cannot do shit about things then we go on and rant, but when others do the exact same, we fight them, it’s cheap, it’s easy it’s perfect to fulfil our need for action.
What can we do to fight this?
To be honest, I’m not sure.
I just try to help others around me by listening to them and being interested in what they want to say.
People being anonymous on the internet is probably one big factor.
Do you know of a study that have confirmed anonymity as a cause of hate or agressive speech online?
It may not be that simple, even if that sounds plausible. But there’s the argument that anonymity is helpful to protect against some agressive behaviors.
While there are many examples of people using anonymous social media accounts to abuse others online, it’s equally clear that anonymity can be a lifeline to many users and communities. Posting anonymously can allow people to protect themselves – to openly discuss and deal with complex topics safely. It can allow people to speak out about abuse, and seek information.
From: Online abuse: banning anonymous social media accounts is not the answer, by Harry T Dyer
Anonymity provides protection to LGBTQ+ people. Yes, of course it does!
And it also provides protection for bigots who would probably face consequences if they try 4chan talk in real life.
Posting anonymously can allow people to protect themselves
There it is. A knife can be used to prepare dinner as easily as it can kill a man.
Anonymity doesn’t cause hate or aggression, it enables it by removing consequences. The hate and aggression has always been there, it now has an outlet where the aggressor can be offensive without repercussion and still see the reaction from others.
I think the question is whether anonymity cause or enable hate speech, not hate itself. And as important, wether banning anonymity can be a remedy against hate speech, without causing harmful side effects.
I used to think that was the case. But Twitter and Facebook show that people can be awful with their full name, address, place of employment up front and center.
