Locally Sourced Hate in a Global Market

I'm not entirely sure, but social media, Facebook, Twitter, and similar platforms may not be a good thing for society. In addition to increased connectivity and speed of information in the world, they have also contributed to a rise of tribalism never before seen. Not just in America as observed everyday on FB, and Twitter comments, but globally.

Before the internet and before the explosion of social media if you lived in a small town and were prejudiced against a skin color or sexual orientation, you didn't have a platform to connect globally with people who believed like you did. You might be able to find local friends who hated like you do, but you weren't able to reach out and re-enforce your beliefs with like minded people. You created local tribes.

And in your local tribes you probably didn't greet new people and expose your bigotry and hatred immediately. You had to suss out how they would receive it before you released your prejudice. There was a knowledge and a certain sense of shame. You knew what you believed was not socially acceptable. So you hid it only to reveal it when you knew you were safe among friends. When you did tell people your hate you bridled at "Political Correctness." What others might call civil society.

With Twitter and Facebook there is no shame. No acknowledgement you should be ashamed of your hate. Your hate is no longer a just  local manifestation which found like minded bigots. You can join groups which share your small minded hate. You can partake in a echo chamber of re-enforcing belief where doubts  you might be wrong never arise. No contrary thought you might be wrong is allowed. Anyone who points out you are _______ is ganged up on and shouted down. Bullies win by sheer numbers and do digital high fives in posts when the oppressed leave the field of battle.

You take great satisfaction from calling dissenters "Snowflakes." But when your world view is challenged you react like the snowflakes you make fun of. You say things digitally you would never dare utter at work. You would never dare bully and threaten someone if they were standing in front of you. Thru a keyboard bullies are invincible.

How many people have been in the news because they lost a job for hateful racists or misogynistic things on social media? It happens often. The people become national or worldwide  pariahs in an instant of "retweets" or "shares." Their deeply held beliefs which they would have never shouted thru a bull horn in a crowd 25 years ago go around the world on a wave of electrons. They whine about their self inflicted plight with the excuse being, they were just exercising Free Speech.

In America you get to be as hateful as you want. If you deign to put it online you risk a backlash and all the repercussions which can happen. Apologies are hollow. "I'm sorry if anyone took offense." That puts the onus of offense on the person who was offended by your hateful speech, not you who said it. Silently you still think it. Salvaging your reputation is the goal.

In the current climate people are emboldened to speak vile things to the detriment of society as a whole. The coarsening of rhetoric diminishes humans and creates walls that stop us from understanding each other.

There are lots of self feeding tribes. Liberals, conservatives, vegans, hunters, all religions fighting over god.  The shouting they do at each other keeps them from understanding each other.