A new study links partisan activity on the Internet to widespread online toxicity, revealing that politically-engaged users exhibit uncivil behavior even in non-political discussions. The findings are based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users.
I’m fine with folks with strong political convictions. The thing that gets me is the viewing of literally everything through the lens of reductive party politics combined with the belief that anyone who disagrees is an idiot or a monster.
I’m also a trans woman, FWIW. Lord knows I have feelings on all sorts of political topics. I’m not a fan of my existence being a political football. But, I don’t interject my political beliefs apropos of nothing or use them as a substitute for having a personality. (Which, to be abundantly clear, I am not accusing you or anyone else of). I’m not suggesting that folks shouldn’t be passionate- quite the opposite. It’s just that it’s unhealthy/incredibly grating and sad when I interact with people who have nothing in their life besides party politics. I think it makes our lives less rich, divides us from our fellow humans, and creates stress around things the average person has absolutely no control over.
Yes, the world is fraught and our politics is fucking broken. I choose, however, to be active where I believe I can have an impact and otherwise try to embrace joy/enable and share in the joy of others. To allow oneself to be consumed by all the demagoguery is an act of submission; joy, including queer joy, is an act of defiance.
Perhaps the world is going to shit, perhaps it isn’t. I have no control over it though and I refuse to make myself miserable and let fear consume my life. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m fine with folks with strong political convictions. The thing that gets me is the viewing of literally everything through the lens of reductive party politics combined with the belief that anyone who disagrees is an idiot or a monster.
As a Trans woman, unfortunately my very identity is a political issue nowadays and I can’t not be politically active.
I’m also a trans woman, FWIW. Lord knows I have feelings on all sorts of political topics. I’m not a fan of my existence being a political football. But, I don’t interject my political beliefs apropos of nothing or use them as a substitute for having a personality. (Which, to be abundantly clear, I am not accusing you or anyone else of). I’m not suggesting that folks shouldn’t be passionate- quite the opposite. It’s just that it’s unhealthy/incredibly grating and sad when I interact with people who have nothing in their life besides party politics. I think it makes our lives less rich, divides us from our fellow humans, and creates stress around things the average person has absolutely no control over.
Yes, the world is fraught and our politics is fucking broken. I choose, however, to be active where I believe I can have an impact and otherwise try to embrace joy/enable and share in the joy of others. To allow oneself to be consumed by all the demagoguery is an act of submission; joy, including queer joy, is an act of defiance.
Perhaps the world is going to shit, perhaps it isn’t. I have no control over it though and I refuse to make myself miserable and let fear consume my life. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯