What I don’t get is, so much of what is online is designed to make you angry and scared because that captures the most engagement. Are people just comfortable feeling that way? It seems way more stressful than living a mostly offline life and enjoying conversations with real people. I don’t understand why people do it to themselves.
I think for older folks at least it has to do with the chemicals they were exposed to. I’ve met countless men in their 50s who really are just angry all the time and permanently on a hair trigger. Then they fondly talk about the good old days when trucks would gas their blocks with pesticides and they’d chase after them as kids. You also can’t discount the amount lead they were exposed to which is known to make people more aggressive.
People who complain about woke and social justice warriors feels like…they are social justice warriors and woke by having a social cause to be outraged for.
Five years ago, I saw other passengers on a flight turn on the in-flight entertainment screen and immediately bee-line straight to Fox News. For the entire 4 hour flight. And not just one person either. They could have had their pick of all kinds of blockbuster movies and critically-acclaimed TV shows on there, but they preferred to just plug into the hivemind instead.
I can’t even imagine watching any news, propaganda or otherwise, for that long. It was completely unnerving to witness.
So, yes. People really are addicted to the rage bait. Probably more now than back then. And like an addiction it’s fucking their whole lives up, and getting out is not really a consideration.
What I don’t get is, so much of what is online is designed to make you angry and scared because that captures the most engagement. Are people just comfortable feeling that way? It seems way more stressful than living a mostly offline life and enjoying conversations with real people. I don’t understand why people do it to themselves.
I think for older folks at least it has to do with the chemicals they were exposed to. I’ve met countless men in their 50s who really are just angry all the time and permanently on a hair trigger. Then they fondly talk about the good old days when trucks would gas their blocks with pesticides and they’d chase after them as kids. You also can’t discount the amount lead they were exposed to which is known to make people more aggressive.
they only ever known to express anger.
Anger’s the only passion they get to experience
People who complain about woke and social justice warriors feels like…they are social justice warriors and woke by having a social cause to be outraged for.
Five years ago, I saw other passengers on a flight turn on the in-flight entertainment screen and immediately bee-line straight to Fox News. For the entire 4 hour flight. And not just one person either. They could have had their pick of all kinds of blockbuster movies and critically-acclaimed TV shows on there, but they preferred to just plug into the hivemind instead.
I can’t even imagine watching any news, propaganda or otherwise, for that long. It was completely unnerving to witness.
So, yes. People really are addicted to the rage bait. Probably more now than back then. And like an addiction it’s fucking their whole lives up, and getting out is not really a consideration.