Call Out Culture

[Quetzal]

I use Twitter quite often as my personal handle for professional networking and sharing learning resources. There is something I see a lot: call out culture. That is, when someone perceives something they believe is incorrect, they will not attempt to correct. They attempt to humiliate and embarrass. I found this example yesterday:

Spoiler: Language

Quite the gem, isn't she? See, Jack in this particular instance made a fairly thoughtful post. Basic empathy, for sure, but he isn't wrong and I didn't see a problem. Notice how Kim decides to spread his tweet and then proceed to taunt him. It takes a special kind of person to take a basic observation of empathy and then make fun of them for it.

Now, I have a second, more controversial (although it shouldn't be) observation. In my empirical experience the majority of call out posts are made by women calling out men. Justified? Maybe, maybe not. Let's take this example and reverse the participants and inverse the genders. Do you believe there would be 212,000 likes? 43,000 retweets? It gets worse! If you happen to waddle over to her account and take a peek at the discussion... people are openly supporting and encouraging this behavior.

For comparison, I made a reply to a post last month. The author made the claim that women in tech should be allowed raises based on the sole idea that they are owed due to the percieved pay gap. My reply was this: "I find it interesting that you seek additional compensation just because you are a woman. I prefer compensation be based on merit and growth." My account was suspended for 72 hours and I got enough hate mail to make Trump blush.

Welcome to 2018, eh?

 

[leibowde84]

I use Twitter quite often as my personal handle for professional networking and sharing learning resources. There is something I see a lot: call out culture. That is, when someone perceives something they believe is incorrect, they will not attempt to correct. They attempt to humiliate and embarrass. I found this example yesterday:

Spoiler: Language

Quite the gem, isn't she? See, Jack in this particular instance made a fairly thoughtful post. Basic empathy, for sure, but he isn't wrong and I didn't see a problem. Notice how Kim decides to spread his tweet and then proceed to taunt him. It takes a special kind of person to take a basic observation of empathy and then make fun of them for it.

Now, I have a second, more controversial (although it shouldn't be) observation. In my empirical experience the majority of call out posts are made by women calling out men. Justified? Maybe, maybe not. Let's take this example and reverse the participants and inverse the genders. Do you believe there would be 212,000 likes? 43,000 retweets? It gets worse! If you happen to waddle over to her account and take a peek at the discussion... people are openly supporting and encouraging this behavior.

For comparison, I made a reply to a post last month. The author made the claim that women in tech should be allowed raises based on the sole idea that they are owed due to the percieved pay gap. My reply was this: "I find it interesting that you seek additional compensation just because you are a woman. I prefer compensation be based on merit and growth." My account was suspended for 72 hours and I got enough hate mail to make Trump blush.

Welcome to 2018, eh?

It's sad, but I think there is no fixing it without help from our leaders. When people see something that they disagree with but cannot argue against logically, they turn to insults instead of conceding. It has always been a problem, but with the way our leaders on both sides of the aisle behave, we don't have any examples of how to avoid this.

 

[Sunstone]

Apparently, there is some science on this. For one thing, it's mostly a Generation Z thing. Generation Z is 1996 to the present. But why them?

Some sociologists have suggested the cause might be two-fold. First, that Generation has been the most monitored and parentally coddled generation in history. Compared to all other generations, they were allowed less unsupervised time growing up than anyone. There was "always" an adult nearby in their lives. According to the scientists, this translated into their never having had to handle problems, disputes, crises (such as bullying) on their own. There was always an adult they could run to. Consequently, they have become the call-out culture -- with the crowd or mob now substituting for the adult of their childhood.

A second factor is that -- for some of them at least -- they gain status and prestige by calling out people for offenses against "protected groups". Protected groups are basically every group you can think of except white non-Hispanic males. Since the motive in calling people out is prestige -- rather than real offense or real justice -- there is very little motivation to consider or think about the effects calling someone out might have on the person who is called out.

In translation, that means they do not -- in their rush to score prestige -- think about such things as "does this person really deserve to be called out?" "Was their heart in the right place?" "Is it fair to characterize their behavior as horrible?" etc. etc. etc. They have no real empathy for the people they call out, nor do they see those folks points of view.

Any of that make sense to you, Quezal?

 

[Quetzal]

Apparently, there is some science on this. For one thing, it's mostly a Generation Z thing. Generation Z is 1996 to the present. But why them?

Some sociologists have suggested the cause might be two-fold. First, that Generation has been the most monitored and parentally coddled generation in history. Compared to all other generations, they were allowed less unsupervised time growing up than anyone. There was "always" an adult nearby in their lives. According to the scientists, this translated into their never having had to handle problems, disputes, crises (such as bullying) on their own. There was always an adult they could run to. Consequently, they have become the call-out culture -- with the crowd or mob now substituting for the adult of their childhood.

A second factor is that -- for some of them at least -- they gain status and prestige by calling out people for offenses against "protected groups". Protected groups are basically every group you can think of except white non-Hispanic males. Since the motive in calling people out is prestige -- rather than real offense or real justice -- there is very little motivation to consider or think about the effects calling someone out might have on the person who is called out.

Any of that make sense to you, Quezal?

It does, I would like to look into that further. It is a fascinating theory, thanks for sharing!

 

[Sunstone]

It does, I would like to look into that further. It is a fascinating theory, thanks for sharing!

Google up the sociology on it. It really is fascinating.

 

[Nakosis]

I use Twitter quite often as my personal handle for professional networking and sharing learning resources. There is something I see a lot: call out culture. That is, when someone perceives something they believe is incorrect, they will not attempt to correct. They attempt to humiliate and embarrass. I found this example yesterday:

Spoiler: Language

Quite the gem, isn't she? See, Jack in this particular instance made a fairly thoughtful post. Basic empathy, for sure, but he isn't wrong and I didn't see a problem. Notice how Kim decides to spread his tweet and then proceed to taunt him. It takes a special kind of person to take a basic observation of empathy and then make fun of them for it.

Now, I have a second, more controversial (although it shouldn't be) observation. In my empirical experience the majority of call out posts are made by women calling out men. Justified? Maybe, maybe not. Let's take this example and reverse the participants and inverse the genders. Do you believe there would be 212,000 likes? 43,000 retweets? It gets worse! If you happen to waddle over to her account and take a peek at the discussion... people are openly supporting and encouraging this behavior.

For comparison, I made a reply to a post last month. The author made the claim that women in tech should be allowed raises based on the sole idea that they are owed due to the percieved pay gap. My reply was this: "I find it interesting that you seek additional compensation just because you are a woman. I prefer compensation be based on merit and growth." My account was suspended for 72 hours and I got enough hate mail to make Trump blush.

Welcome to 2018, eh?

This is why I don't tweet/twit?

I went on Twitter for a while. It seemed mostly about trying to call others out, making the most nasty response possible for their ignorance. Not, as you said, making a polite correction.

 

[Revoltingest]

The author made the claim that women in tech should be allowed raises based on the sole idea that they are owed due to the percieved pay gap. My reply was this: "I find it interesting that you seek additional compensation just because you are a woman. I prefer compensation be based on merit and growth." My account was suspended for 72 hours and I got enough hate mail to make Trump blush.

You deserved banishment for such gaslighting.

 

[Quetzal]

You deserved banishment for such gaslighting.

How dare I suggest that hard work be rewarded! To the gulag with me!

 

[Revoltingest]

How dare I suggest that hard work be rewarded! To the gulag with me!

That's too good for you.
You should be spaced....but after I read some of my poetry.

On a serious note....
I suggest making such hyper-contentious points about gender
& compensation with gentle but salient questions rather than
commentary. Your intent will be gleaned, but the other poster
will state her position on the issue.

 

[Quetzal]

This is why I don't tweet/twit?

I went on Twitter for a while. It seemed mostly about trying to call others out, making the most nasty response possible for their ignorance. Not, as you said, making a polite correction.

It is actually really helpful in my desired line of work. A lot of great resources are shared and professional networking (believe it or not) is actually helpful. But there is certainly a bad side to it as well.

 

[Quetzal]

That's too good for you.
You should be spaced....but after I read some of my poetry.

I could have swore the UN created some resolutions to prevent such things.

 

[Father Heathen]

[/SPOILER]

Just a quick glimpse at their profile immediately tells you all you need to know about their character.

 

[Revoltingest]

Just a quick glimpse at their profile immediately tells you all you need to know about their character.

Squidward is deeply offended at her appropriation of his image.

 

[Quetzal]

Squidward is deeply offended at her appropriation of his image.

I saw that as well, what a waste of a great avatar.

 

[Revoltingest]

I saw that as well, what a waste of a great avatar.

At least you'll get sympathy here.
(You might be one of the few posters whom everyone likes.)

 

[Father Heathen]

Squidward is deeply offended at her appropriation of his image.

Odd choice of avatar aside, judging by her page she couldn't be more the stereotypical sullen, priggish SJW.

 

[Quintessence]

If it is a mostly Generation Z thing, that explains why this is utterly foreign to me. Then again, I also avoid social media like the plague. Come to think of it, being on the receiving end of garbage like this - albeit in a different context and platform - is why I swore off participating in social media at all originally. I still swear it off for that reason in part, but also because I saw the writing on the wall in terms of exploitation by commercial interests. Now it's being exploited by political interests too, and any desire I had to sign up for such accounts has gone with the wind.

 

[Jumi]

Yeah I don't even know what they're talking about? Must be some kind of background of ideologies one must subscribe to or at least follow to understand the unsaid parts of this "discussion".

 

[Revoltingest]

If it is a mostly Generation Z thing, that explains why this is utterly foreign to me.

I'm reluctant to give them much blame.
They're seeing older folk doing the same.
Just look at the hyper-sensitive types here, getting all offended
over minor misunderstandings & mere differences of opinion.

 

[Father Heathen]

I'm reluctant to give them much blame.
They're seeing older folk doing the same.
Just look at the hyper-sensitive types here, getting all offended
over minor misunderstandings & mere differences of opinion.

Old people are just as toxic on Facebook as young people are on Twitter.