Toxic social media

[Nimos]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

 

[Kenny]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

Actually, this is really the only platform that I visit regularly. Facebook/Instagram I just use for sending information and updating people

 

[VoidCat]

Facebook can be a pain. I got jumped on for saying I'm both asexual and celibate. Apparently folk think asexual folk dont exist and if they do exist they are very specific type of asexuals-nonlibidoists who dont have sex thus me making a celibacy vow is pointless. But some asexual despite not feeling attraction do have sex. They have different reasons for it. And I mostly made the vow to keep folk especially men off my back. Either way there were tons of folk jumping on me like You aint really asexual or asexuality don't exist and the post I made was meant to be lighthearted a simple joke post.

 

[ChristineM]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

I only use RF, plus Facebook for family only.

I occasionally use reddit if I'm doing a nit of light research and it's listed as relevant in my search but otherwise .. no.

I did belong to another forum before RF that was really just a food fight of words.

 

[VoidCat]

I also on RF dont feel like I would get made fun of for things such as stuff animals that if I posted elsewhere I would get made fun of.

 

[Erebus]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

The thing about Reddit is that it isn't a single, cohesive community. A quick Google search shows that there are about 138,000 active subreddits and over three million subreddits in total. Nobody who uses Reddit is going to see every community on there so they're generally going to stick with a handful of subreddits that appeal to their interests.

How hostile any given community is will vary wildly. I've found that wargaming subreddits are far more friendly than videogaming subreddits for example. That said, the subreddits for specific videogames also vary in general toxicity levels. As a rule, single player games will attract friendlier groups than multiplayer games for example. The lack of a competitive element makes people more inclined to just share their enjoyment of the game.

In short then, Reddit is simultaneously horrific and very welcoming. It really depends on which subreddits you visit.

 

[Ashoka]

Facebook can be a pain. I got jumped on for saying I'm both asexual and celibate. Apparently folk think asexual folk dont exist and if they do exist they are very specific type of asexuals-nonlibidoists who dont have sex thus me making a celibacy vow is pointless. But some asexual despite not feeling attraction do have sex. They have different reasons for it. And I mostly made the vow to keep folk especially men off my back. Either way there were tons of folk jumping on me like You aint really asexual or asexuality don't exist and the post I made was meant to be lighthearted a simple joke post.

Fellow asexual here. That's happened to me as well. I was told I was trying to be a "special snowflake." This was way back in 2012 on Tumblr, when asexuality was still something people were beginning to talk about and validate.

Also I was cyberbullied to tears by this Catholic dude who was ableist as heck because I said *checks notes* "The inquisition was bad."

 

[VoidCat]

Fellow asexual here. That's happened to me as well. I was told I was trying to be a "special snowflake." This was way back in 2012 on Tumblr, when asexuality was still something people were beginning to talk about and validate.

Also I was cyberbullied to tears by this Catholic dude who was ableist as heck because I said *checks notes* "The inquisition was bad."

Oh ableists on facebook and other sites are horrible. Especially autism moms(that is neurotypical parents of autistic children. Most dont listen to autistics at all)

 

[Ashoka]

Oh ableists on facebook and other sites are horrible. Especially autism moms(that is neurotypical parents of autistic children. Most dont listen to autistics at all)

I get so many ads that trigger the hell out of me about how Autism is caused by vaccines, or whiny posts by "Autism moms". They get made and upset when the Autistic community calls them out, and refuse to listen to them because "I'm an Autism mom!" Nah, you're just ableist and hate your kid.

 

[VoidCat]

I get so many ads that trigger the hell out of me about how Autism is caused by vaccines, or whiny posts by "Autism moms". They get made and upset when the Autistic community calls them out, and refuse to listen to them because "I'm an Autism mom!" Nah, you're just ableist and hate your kid.

I get those ads too ugh

 

[Secret Chief]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

I use fb, twitter and instagram and have no problems. On fb I am in topic-specific groups . They have rules that basically say be polite but I think everybody would be anyway, no-one's going to get worked up about alcohol free drinks! On insta I only follow and respond to those interested in alcohol free drinks. And on twitter I only interact with sensible people, mostly to do with AF drinks but also some political. The political is polite because I'm in a little echo chamber - all leftwingers. In fact I'm practically Genghis Khan compared to some of the other brothers and sisters.

 

[Stevicus]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

When I became aware of the existence of the phenomenon known as "troll farms," as well as general concept of shills and people who post with an agenda, it didn't really surprise me.

When I look at social media or internet forums in general, I observe there are generally two types:

- Real people who post real thoughts and ideas that they conceived all by themselves
- Actors playing a role (shills), usually with some sort of agenda (or sometimes they're salespeople looking to sell something)

If you find yourself in a forum, you state your views, and people attack you for it and you can't understand why, then the people attacking you are most likely from the second group.

They're attacking you because your thoughts do not conform to the agenda or script they're following, although they will rarely come right out and say it. A big clue is when they are deliberately cagey or evasive in refusing to say why they're attacking, what they're upset about, or where they're actually coming from. One can generally detect a great deal of superficial posturing, yet with very little content or substance underneath. Trying to engage such people is like trying to have a deep discussion with a parrot.

Sometimes I visit Reddit, as they sometimes have some funny memes, but it's more just light entertainment. I wouldn't take it all that seriously, and the way it's formatted, people seem to care more about vote counts and position (which are the kinds of things that shills and salespeople would be most concerned with, since that means more views).

 

[Mock Turtle]

I've been on Reddit and various topic-specific forums - some good and some not so - and unfortunately I've found the moderation often wasn't consistent enough to stay, especially if anything was in any way a little controversial or easily targeted. Apart from being banned of course - and which was obviously SO UNJUST!

I don't really have a life so as to justify being on any social media.

RF wins so far.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Facebook can be a pain. I got jumped on for saying I'm both asexual and celibate. Apparently folk think asexual folk dont exist and if they do exist they are very specific type of asexuals-nonlibidoists who dont have sex thus me making a celibacy vow is pointless. But some asexual despite not feeling attraction do have sex. They have different reasons for it. And I mostly made the vow to keep folk especially men off my back. Either way there were tons of folk jumping on me like You aint really asexual or asexuality don't exist and the post I made was meant to be lighthearted a simple joke post.

People are idiots. I personally know multiple homosexuals who had kids 'the old fashioned way' because they either didn't want to be homosexual, or were directly/indirectly pressured into playing a straight role.
From that alone I'd assume there are asexual people filling traditional heterosexual (heck, maybe even homosexual) roles.
There are also, I would assume, asexual people having sex for the purpose of maintaining a relationship, whether that's due to hiding their asexuality (I'm assuming some people with 'low libido' actually have effectively no libido) or as a compromise position with a partner.

Meh. And that's without really understanding asexuality at all. I'm sure there's more layers.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

RF, RealGM (basketball), Untappd (beer) and LinkedIn (work).

That's more than enough social media for me.

 

[Nimos]

How hostile any given community is will vary wildly. I've found that wargaming subreddits are far more friendly than videogaming subreddits for example. That said, the subreddits for specific videogames also vary in general toxicity levels. As a rule, single player games will attract friendlier groups than multiplayer games for example. The lack of a competitive element makes people more inclined to just share their enjoyment of the game.

I think that is a good point. And might be a huge difference, to be honest.

Because people that are into wargames, I used to play them when I was young but still enjoy board games a lot. But you don't really get an opinion about these things unless you invest a lot of time in them. So the average person interested in this has probably spent a whole lot of hours on it because if they hadn't they would have stopped.

So that might be a huge difference, compared to movies and TV shows, you don't really spend a lot of time on it, you just watch the movie and state whether you thought it was good or bad. Obviously, you have people that are very much into a certain type of film and know all about it, like SW for instance, but these people get mixed up with all the average joes that just want action and lightsabers etc.

 

[Nimos]

When I became aware of the existence of the phenomenon known as "troll farms," as well as general concept of shills and people who post with an agenda, it didn't really surprise me.

When I look at social media or internet forums in general, I observe there are generally two types:

- Real people who post real thoughts and ideas that they conceived all by themselves
- Actors playing a role (shills), usually with some sort of agenda (or sometimes they're salespeople looking to sell something)

If you find yourself in a forum, you state your views, and people attack you for it and you can't understand why, then the people attacking you are most likely from the second group.

They're attacking you because your thoughts do not conform to the agenda or script they're following, although they will rarely come right out and say it. A big clue is when they are deliberately cagey or evasive in refusing to say why they're attacking, what they're upset about, or where they're actually coming from. One can generally detect a great deal of superficial posturing, yet with very little content or substance underneath. Trying to engage such people is like trying to have a deep discussion with a parrot.

Sometimes I visit Reddit, as they sometimes have some funny memes, but it's more just light entertainment. I wouldn't take it all that seriously, and the way it's formatted, people seem to care more about vote counts and position (which are the kinds of things that shills and salespeople would be most concerned with, since that means more views).

I agree I don't take it seriously in that way, but I do think that in those cases it is kind of pointless.

Because people are not going to convince me that Kenobi was a good TV show, regardless of how much they praise it unless they can throw some arguments in there to convince me why it is good. But that is not really what people do on Reddit, because as you say, I think they have an agenda.

 

[VoidCat]

People are idiots. I personally know multiple homosexuals who had kids 'the old fashioned way' because they either didn't want to be homosexual, or were directly/indirectly pressured into playing a straight role.
From that alone I'd assume there are asexual people filling traditional heterosexual (heck, maybe even homosexual) roles.
There are also, I would assume, asexual people having sex for the purpose of maintaining a relationship, whether that's due to hiding their asexuality (I'm assuming some people with 'low libido' actually have effectively no libido) or as a compromise position with a partner.

Meh. And that's without really understanding asexuality at all. I'm sure there's more layers.

The reasons for an asexual having sex is very diverse and many. Some are even sex favorable and while they don't experience attraction they have sex cuz it's physically pleasurable. Others do it for the reasons you listed. Some cuz they have a high libido but zero attraction(libido is not the same as attraction nor does it require it). Some do it as a job- they are sex workers. Some out of curiosity. Aces are a very diverse group(ace is short for asexual).

It is very stupid folk were being butts about it.


It's like how another person on Facebook accused me of cultural appropriation cuz I mentioned I am a pagan. And my profile pic im covering my hair. The person in question accused me of appropriating Islam but knew so little about Islam they called it muslimism. They were really like you can't cover your hair you're insulting Muslims etc... Sir. Islam is not the only religion that covers hair! All you had to do was ask why is my hair covered if im not a Muslim I'd gladly answer. No point in being a dick and making assumptions

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't use social media in general besides this forum. But since I like movies and stuff, I thought I would give Reddit a chance.

If people think they are being "bullied" here or that some people can be a bit aggressive. It is nothing compared to Reddit

One would think that religious debates could be heated because in many cases you are dealing with completely opposite views. But that you can have an actual intelligent discussion here on this forum, honestly seem like a miracle when you compare it to Reddit.

And I'm talking movies/TV here, not political or religious stuff, but people are extreme fanatics. To the point where I would say there is a 50/50 chance that someone will jump you simply for asking a question because they assume that you have a hidden agenda of some sort and therefore feel a need to defend something, to the point where you are in doubt to whether or not people using Reddit can actually read or are simply looking for keywords in what you write and based on that they will not only disagree with you but will judge you for it. It is insane
And it doesn't matter whether you speak nicely or negative about something or simply expresses your opinion with an actual argument to support your view, one or the other group will attack you for it.


I don't intend to use it much because of that. And does make you appreciate a forum like this, where people are mature enough to be able to actually read a post and understand what an argument is

Have anyone had a similar experience there in regard to other topics? or on other social media platforms?

Buddhachat. Now defunct but it was the WWF of internet forum cage fighting!

 

[Jainarayan]

Depending on the Reddit subjects and subreddits it can be very, very cordial and informative. I had a bad experience in one subreddit some years ago. It was the now dead Ásatrú subreddit when I was Ásatrúar. It was beyond toxic. However, it did itself in. The other subs I occasionally visit such as Hinduism, Guitar, Paganism, Spirituality, Linguistics and some health and medical, and other nerdy subs are very good, if not a little slow. Maybe that's what keeps them civil, just a core of regular Redditors.

I Facebook mostly to keep in touch with family and what friends I have, and some specific private groups .. a men's beard group (yes, we take our facial hair very seriously), a couple of music and guitar groups and some special interest private groups.

Quora is either very informative depending on the subjects you follow, or the questions are ... well, anyone who says "there is no stupid question" has never visited Quora. My standard answer to those is "Shouldn't you be under a bridge harassing billy-goats?" Example (and this is real) "My daughter got an A- in [I don't remember the specific subject], how should I punish her?" One person answered "She's already had punishment enough with a parent like you".

So yeah ... some can be mind-numbing.