Twitter users, why so edgy?
I’ve been hearing about Twitter threads through friends for a while. They play different roles on the social media platform; some enjoy drama unfold while biting on their popcorn, some get triggered by the beliefs and opinions others hold, some get caught up in a thread of clarification and written abuse hailed at a complete stranger.
I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon approximately a month ago, and selectively followed a few podcast hosts, who shared interesting new ideas or contested the old. I also made sure that I follow those who stand on polar opposite ends; if I follow Sam Harris, I will definitely follow Jordan Peterson. If you know, you know.
Here’s what I’ve seen so far.
Feminists calling women who don’t hold the same opinions and beliefs dumb, and vice versa.
One insulting another’s intelligence and trying to prove that their point of view is superior.
Some racial groups hating on another for their assumed privilege.
A completely random bunch of sympathizers of a specific group who don’t belong to that specific group themselves be it race, caste, or creed, who jump on the above-stated bandwagon.
One K-pop fandom arguing with another fandom over why their idol is better than the other.
The misinformers who share a biased opinion or news article.
The questioners who receive hate or verbal abuse for asking questions when he/she is just supposed to empathize or understand from a humanitarian point of view.
The complainers, and non-believers of systems, who do not present an alternative solution, but engage in heated debates over those who try to present a few more anecdotes to the problem, and its complexity.
If you haven’t noticed already, the overarching theme on Twitter for me is intolerance. Those who preach it themselves, in hindsight seemed intolerant. Intolerant of the diaspora who left the country but holds an opinion, the atheist intolerant of the religious and vice versa, the intolerance towards the individual who does not belong to any marginalized groups, the feminists versus the patriarchy enforcer. All of them seem to be canvassing for their point of view with one conclusion in mind; “If only I could shed the light and prove that I am right and they’re wrong?”
I see groups of people who think they’re better than the other every day. We all want to be proven right, and benefit of the doubt, that’s not a standard we weigh others by. I wonder, if someone telling a 14-year old girl on Twitter that she’s a dumb good for nothing influencer, ever wonder about the impact it could have on the mental health of the person on the other end or the impact on her self esteem. Is it because it looks less damaging when you’re a stranger and you feel less responsible for your intolerance? Is it because being contrarian and honest on Twitter gets you more likes and retweets? If so, are we using this platform which could bring diverse facts and opinions together to build one comprehensive narrative in the least productive way?
We all hold certain opinions, but guarding them with our lives is really not a show of bravado, since opinions and our perspective are both subjective. An online conversation is even more flawed, since interpretations of the written word are varied, and even sarcasm could be mistaken for serious opinion. So expending all my energy to prove to someone else who is on another end of the spectrum that I am right, would be a complete waste of my time. Plus I could be interpreting their take on things falsely as well. Think it’s safe to say that no wars have been prevented through Twitter debates. Alternatively, here’s how I wish everyone used it to deal with sensitive topics. Express opinions, get ready for disagreement, and if that opinion bothers you, understand where they come from. If it still bothers you, do not call them stupid, illiterate, uneducated, or privileged, know that we are all ignorant to a certain extent and that if we were one and all the same, the world wouldn’t be better, it just would be boring. If you want healthy debates on facts and figures, learn to be objective and watch that Ted video on not taking things too personally. If none of these work, meditate. Just don’t be that guy who ruins somebody’s day.
