Social media is extremely useful for communicating these days. It is also unbearably toxic.
Once upon a time, I believe, people that had odious fringe (hopefully) views had to feel the heat of holding those views every time they expressed them. This isn't possible on social media. You can use anonymity (which I support simply because these same people will also resort to bullying and harassment, and that one should be in control of one's information and when it gets revealed) to broadcast anything. You can sit in the privacy of your own home, where you are always free to air the stupidest nastiest shit available. Suddenly the whole world is an audience inside your room.
It also allows people to respond to the things 'famous' people say, be they politicians, media persons, journalists or whoever. What is frustrating here is that of course they aren't going to respond. This gives lie to the idea social media and the internet is the great leveller. It isn't. These people will always, by dint of who they are, attract more people to them, have their views heard and respected more, regardless of how stupid they are, and be amplified further by those they attract. You can try to correct them if they spout nonsense, but of course they won't listen. They probably won't even read your comment. You are nothing to them. For an example...the President of the USA!
It's amazing how these people will cry the most when they aren't taken seriously, but don't ever reciprocate. There is no honest respectful discourse, and they don't intend there to be, no matter how much they complain about 'the left' or 'cancel culture'. Honestly I'm sick of it.
I'm considering erasing my social media platform. I like the format of Twitter. I do not like reading hateful rubbish from people who can spew this stuff with utter impunity, and there is no shortage of these vile people. They now fill me with such anger I cannot respond meaningfully. I want to tear their heads off. The latest examples are the gammon crybabies whining, mewling like tortured cats, because the BBC might cancel their imperialist anthem from that reactionary festival known as the Proms.
They are all pissing their pants and threatening to cancel (irony alert!) their license fees as a result. It's utter hyperbole. As if our society should never evolve, take in new information, reconsider its values. Nope, it must forever remain in some imperialist anachronistic box. Change is bad, and checking one's privilege is akin to Hitler forcing you to speak German. I can't cope with all this. Look at what is going on in the world. Look at how the pandemic has exposed the barbaric inequality and aggression of the capitalists everywhere. The ruling class in countries bombing and starving people, killing their own citizens. Another black man is murdered in the US, but the real crime is the woke luvvies at the 'loony lefty' BBC 'banning' God Save The Queen!
If one word can sum up this entire period then it's the word gaslighting, because that's how I feel these days. If it weren't one of my only outlets and places to communicate (ha!) then I'd delete Twitter and Facebook - and don't get me started on that shithole. It's appalling racist politics aside, the whole website is intrusive and confusing. I do not like sharing personal photos, what my cat ate for dinner, or who I'm sleeping with. It took me years to get on to the site because I've never liked it. Now it's the only way I can communicate with some people, which is pathetic. I hate it.
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