There’s nothing wrong with criticism or calling out bad behavior. However, shouting “ACAB” in a thread about police violence, making jokes about beheading rich people, or throwing “muskrat” comments in discussions about Elon Musk, just to name a few examples, makes you an asshole and part of the reason why social media is so incredibly toxic.

If you’re doing that while also explaining why you feel that way, then it’s still not the best approach, but at least you’re contributing to the conversation instead of just making noise. Throwing out insults without adding substance doesn’t challenge anyone or encourage meaningful discussion; it just perpetuates the toxic environment that so many of us complain about.

  • Greg Clarke@lemmy.caEnglish
    286·
    2 months ago

    part of the reason why social media is so incredibly toxic

    Hard disagree. Commercial social media is incredibly toxic because of individuals like Musk, Zuckerberg, etc. They increase their profits to the determent of society. They create the echo chambers that cause that behavior.

    • ContrarianTrail@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      1315·
      2 months ago

      You don’t think the users contribute at all to the toxicity and it’s all because of Zuckerberg, Musk, Dorsey etc.?

      Then why is Lemmy filled with the exact same toxicity? Exhibit A: Comment by MedicPig below.

      • paniczeezily@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
        131·
        2 months ago

        Feels like victim blaming the people who are currently being manipulated by algorithms which specfically draw people deeper and deeper into content designed to make them angry.

        “It’s your fault for being manipulated!” You scream at the top of your lungs. It’s like when my state asks me to preserve water, but it barely regulates industrial water supply. Which is somewhere between 90 and 95% of total usage.

        Maybe you are trying to treat a symptom, and maybe ignoring the direct cause is a bit of a problem.

        • ContrarianTrail@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          28·
          2 months ago

          Lemmy doesn’t run any recommendation algorithms yet the problem still persists. I’d say it’s an inherent feature of human nature which the algorithms just take advantage of.

          • BassTurd@lemmy.worldEnglish
            91·
            2 months ago

            Some of us are tired of watching gangs (ACAB), Nazis (Musk, Republicans), and other billionaires kill people or use their power to ruin people’s lives for personal gain. I don’t just say ACAB to be edgy or insulting. I truly mean it with the police force in its current state. Switching names like calling Musk, Mush is a bit too juvenile for me and is just there to be insulting. Sometimes someone will strike gold and I’ll chuckle, but for the most part I think it draws from any actual point trying to be made. The more often something like ACAB is thrown out, the more people are going to see it, and it will effect some people, so it’s not just wasted comments.

          • paniczeezily@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
            41·
            2 months ago

            Sure, that doesn’t mean they aren’t encountering them elsewhere, very few people are on a single social media, very few people are not directly affected by the news cycle, it’s all part of it.

            Imo it’s not worth acting like we’re unaffected just cause we’re here.