I poked my head on to Twitter earlier — not to participate or engage, because I think I've well and truly broken my former addiction to it, but instead simply to share the article on Ys that I spent all day writing.
Literally immediately — and yes, I do mean literally — I saw someone indulging in one of the reasons I stopped wanting to use Twitter in the first place: pointless, unnecessary handwringing and guilt over things that were nothing to do with them.
The person in question, whom I had previously thought to be a fairly level-headed, rational sort of individual, went on an 8-tweet tirade about how awful the 4th of July was and how Americans enjoying and celebrating what has become nothing more than a holiday — regardless of its history — was somehow racist.
I closed the tab straight after I shared the link to my work, because frankly I don't have time for that shit.
One might argue that it's a good thing the Internet has supposedly made us all more socially responsible and aware of all the terrible things in the world — and perhaps it is. However, one thing the Internet very rarely does is actually do anything about these terrible things in the world. Whether it's people changing their Facebook avatars to "raise awareness" for a charity (I think they'd rather have your bank details, thanks), someone painting their nails in protest against the amorphous concept of "toxic masculinity" or flaccid "protests" against whatever the issue du jour is, Internet activism achieves absolutely nothing whatsoever.
Actually, no, that's not true — it does achieve something. But it's not anything good.
The only thing Internet activism achieves is to drive wedges between people — alienating people from one another, and drawing very, very clear battle lines that you can only ever be on one side or the other of. Us and them. The "right side of history" and its respective "wrong side". If you're not with us, you're against us. That sort of thing.
The inherently divisive nature of self-proclaimed activists' behaviour online has had an overall enormously negative impact on online discourse as a whole. As I noted in my post where I decided to set Twitter aside, people who believe strongly in things (or at least consider themselves to believe strongly in things) have a tendency to take an "I'm right, you're wrong" approach with no middle ground. And this is true for everyone who holds strong opinions on one thing or another, whether it's "censorship" in games, the supposed epidemic of "misogyny" that the Internet is suffering, or who they think should win the Presidential election.
The general unwillingness to take other people's perspectives into account has ruined all sense of rational discourse on social media. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it's certainly soured the experience for me; social media of all types (with the exception of this blog, if that counts, which I don't really feel it does) had just stopped being fun, and seeing that string of tweets today the moment I opened the Twitter page drove it home for me. There was a stark contrast between this and the private conversation I was having with my friend Chris at the time, whereby we disagreed on our opinions regarding the video game Limbo — he liked it, I hated it — and somehow, magically, managed to do so without feeling the need to convince the other person that they were wrong. We simply enjoy different things, and talking about those things you don't have in common as much as the things you do makes for some of the most interesting conversations.
You can enjoy your life, or you can spend your time getting pointlessly angry about things and people on the Internet. I've got games to play and things to write, so I know which one I choose.
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Hi Pete. I can only assume you're talking about me here. (If that assumption is incorrect, I apologize, and disregard the following.)
I feel bad that my tweets came off as a "tirade," or "outrage," or "slacktivism," or whatever. The last thing I want is to drive a wedge between anyone. These were personal thoughts I had, along with a conversation with my girlfriend that I wanted to share, because I thought the conversation might be valuable, and it felt important to me. If your contention is that sharing those sorts of thoughts has a necessarily negative effect…fair enough.
I tried to be aware of the middle ground you mention, to acknowledge the complexity of the matter and recognize that all involved are good people, not to say "I'm right and you're wrong." Apparently I failed at that. (My girlfriend, in fact, brought to my attention that I had veered closer to "public shaming" than she would have liked or than I intended, so you're not alone.)
I had an extremely sheltered upbringing, and I have a sincere desire to broaden my horizons, not just out of guilt but because I know there is so much I don't know, and I love to learn. So when I see people willfully choosing to remain ignorant, I do have a reaction. Perhaps that reaction is unjust — I don't necessarily know how ignorant the people at that party were, or what their true feelings are, though I could gather some impression from listening to their conversations — and perhaps I'm projecting my issues onto them. But I think there's always merit in examining the reasons why we do the things we do — not to judge but to improve, as individuals and as a society.
I know you've frequently been treated unfairly by internet folks, so I know this is a sensitive subject for you. (I don't say that to be condescending, but just to acknowledge that I'm aware of what you've been through.) But my "pointless, unnecessary handwringing and guilt" DID have a purpose for me: it helped me organize and express some of my complicated feelings on a matter I consider important, in a forum where I hoped I might receive feedback and learn more.
And if you deem that purpose unworthy…I guess I don't feel the same way.
I'll probably just keep belaboring things if I continue, so I'll leave it there. In any case: I still read and enjoy all your posts here, even when I disagree with them. I almost always learn something new, and that's never a bad thing.
Hope you're well.
— Shums
Thanks dude. I'm sorry this undoubtedly came across personally and it wasn't intended to pick on you at all, I just happened to see the wrong thing at the wrong time.
I've been in a bad place… well, for the past five years or so, if I'm honest, and having gradually seen the people I care about and used to talk to on a daily basis slowly become people I find very difficult to talk to out of fear that I'll inadvertently say something "offensive"… well, that's kind of difficult.
This is at least partly my own problem, I know, and stepping away from Twitter and Facebook was just one means I'm trying to improve my mental state, but given that I still want to share my work, I can't exist in a complete vacuum, much as I'd like to sometimes.
I don't have anything against people wanting to be "better" with regard to social awareness — I pride myself on trying my hardest to live and let live whenever possible — but I've seen too many people (not counting you in this category) become completely insufferable shitbags in the name of "social justice" that it's hard for me not to react negatively to it. I don't want to lose any more friends.
I'm not sure what else to say really, it's kind of hard to express what I'm thinking. I am sorry if it felt like I was singing you out, though, and I want to thank you for being understanding and cool about it.
Cheers.
I totally understand, brother. I bring plenty of my own damage to these sorts of things, and I'm definitely overly sensitive sometimes. But I always want to be someone who can have a conversation without judgment, so I apologize for coming off as too judgmental. (And sorry for the previous wall of text.)
P.S. Played any Tokyo Mirage Sessions? Picked it up for my girlfriend's birthday and we're enjoying it so far.
Pete I've taken to clicking the 'More' dots beneath tweets and blocking the origin of them. This leaves me with the Re-Tweeter who is entitled to relate to things I don't, but allows me to NOT have to see them (except briefly prior to the Block). I am so glad I discovered this facility. New to Twitter I explore buttons cautiously. 😀 If I think that most of their Posts don't suit my interests, then I block them to make way for more of those that bring me pleasure – like Art eg.
I am so glad that you now can step back from the 'need to respond' that your sense of injustice triggers off. I also have a huge sense of injustice, unfairness – and their opposites of course. I speak up often when I should keep my mouth shut – but I do this in person, which doesn't always make me popular. I too have learned to control this urge as people generally don't like to hear their own thoughts (possibly) stated for all to hear in case they are then compelled to take a side.
So do still pop in to Twitter and chat about your stuff (I love seeing Andie's funny Tweets) – just ignore those who give you the irrits, or block their Re-Tweets of irksome ideas and/or images, or if needed block them altogether. Just please don't block me dear friend. 😀