The loss of discourse, and why I often abstain from social media

Warning: everything stated in this article are my own, personal opinions. If you are offended by opinion pieces, perhaps you should stop reading this article and find the next big thing to get upset about. Perhaps you'll feel better afterwards...

Outrage culture has always been a vital component of discourse (the act of expressing a viewpoint) but in the past few years the culture has made it almost impossible to engage in discussion, especially on the internet. The outrage tactics of social media pushes negative opinions over positive ones (it is what sells best, after all) and while some have resulted in positive change (the Black Lives Matter movement, whatever your angle, encouraged youth activism, better understanding of human rights issues and greater participation in the recent US elections) most posts aim to do the opposite, and are oftentimes rather pointless compared to actual atrocities going on in the world, BLM notwithstanding.

There used to be a common phrase, "opinions are like assholes; everyone has them." That has largely been forgotten in recent times. It's not that people aren't allowed to have an opinion, they just forget the fact that when they expose themselves online to random strangers, the very first thing they should expect is scrutiny and ridicule. People can and WILL disagree with you, no matter what is said, although if you ARE upsetting people, chances are you might be doing at least something right...

I used to actively participate in online discussion. Now that has largely been relegated to my closest friends. I once participated in a discussion on why bestality (a subject the majority of people are offended by, in my experience) should/should not be legal, and no-one lost their collective minds. We all disagree on certain aspects, but we are still friends. What happened to agreeing to disagree? Sure, there are some communities that are fantastic at policing themselves, but the reactionary culture that has permeated has effectively muddied the waters in terms of respectful discussion. I now find it tiring. It doesn't matter how calmly you present a situation to a stranger, they'll still take it personally and level insults at you. I now find it a pathetic waste of time. That is all.