Venting Tired of performative activism on Twitter

[jenny6391bubbles]

I keep seeing a handful of people on Twitter who keep getting into arguments with others with the hope that the person they're talking to will change their minds. Well, it seems to me what they're doing is just make people hate them more and make it even harder for the other person to have an open mind for discussion. And these people, they keep advocating for black rights, rights for the disabled, etc. but ONLY on Twitter. And I see they spend so many hours on that stupid website and I just think that all that energy and effort would be better if they joined an activist or volunteer group instead of fighting random people on the internet. I tried joining one but quit because my mental health is piss poor and I felt that I wouldn't be able to do anything online (parents won't allow me to go out of the house). I really have respect for those activists, helping and donating to poor people especially during the pandemic.

I do get the feeling these people would say that they're "too busy" to be able to do shit. Yeah, maybe if you stopped spending 12 hours on Twitter, you'd be able to actually do more than just fight random people on Twitter.

 

[Snake of Eden]

These types of pity discussions are nit picking at the symptoms of a much deeper problem so they are not bound to get any impact other than fueling schism, hate, narcissm, victim entitelemnt, etc. Those types of causes and movements were engineered through mainstream media to make people get busy fighting each other while politicians who take sides on issues get support and votes. It is madness to say the least. Until people have a mass spiritual awakening and decide this is not the right way of addressing their grievances, things will only keep on getting alot worse

 

[myopybyproxy]

Yep, I had a twitter account for a bit and ended up spending too much time refreshing the page and formulating high quality posts in hopes that the trolls I was unwittingly feeding would learn from my postings. Social media can be a tool - neither the only nor a superior one - to spread awareness and promote change for the better - if you have a decent following. As I did not, I only ended up harming my mental health by, in essence, talking to a wall. I shouted into the virtual void and was denigrated for it. Those who are 'influencers' hardly have it easy either. In-person conversations are much more likely to be productive - behind a screen it is simple enough to dismiss your debate partner as pixels on a screen - more difficult to deny their humanity when they stand before you flesh and blood just the same as you.

They want us to continue exacerbating our own divisiveness such as to distract us from the way they manipulate the system. Most things are performative nowadays. I feel like I am performing being a human sometimes.

 

[Mixo]

I'm fine with people advocating for their views on Twitter. It's a huge platform and not challenging views that may have hateful impact would be just as annoying, in my opinion.

 

[Crazy4u]

arguments are fine. I have people insult me and attack me on a personal level.
In one example, I asked for how long should we keep wearing masks? how many years. The person called me arrogant and ignorant and many other things without answering the question. Others attacked me when I said: cops only care about themselves. I try to avoid excessive arguments and ignore people like this. I don't have time or energy

 

[user_name_here]

it doesn't have to be a 2 option scenario of:

a) don't get involved

or

b) camp outside of the building with signs and chants and chain yourself to the property, and don't eat etc. etc..

activism can include online forums too.

The worldwide acknowledgement of BLM in 2020 was largely helped by social media. If people weren't rallying behind the George Floyd video it may never have sparked the outrage it (rightfully) did.

 

[NumbItAll]

Emojis spammed in Twitter bio = automatic red flag regardless of views.

 

[jenny6391bubbles]

I'm fine with people advocating for their views on Twitter. It's a huge platform and not challenging views that may have hateful impact would be just as annoying, in my opinion.

I agree. I just find it sad that some people just end up resorting to logical fallacies (most notably, ad hominem. that's what i notice also on facebook) instead of engaging with the other person properly so it just becomes an online shouting fest.

 

[noaccount]

I keep seeing a handful of people on Twitter who keep getting into arguments with others with the hope that the person they're talking to will change their minds. Well, it seems to me what they're doing is just make people hate them more and make it even harder for the other person to have an open mind for discussion. And these people, they keep advocating for black rights, rights for the disabled, etc. but ONLY on Twitter. And I see they spend so many hours on that stupid website and I just think that all that energy and effort would be better if they joined an activist or volunteer group instead of fighting random people on the internet. I tried joining one but quit because my mental health is piss poor and I felt that I wouldn't be able to do anything online (parents won't allow me to go out of the house). I really have respect for those activists, helping and donating to poor people especially during the pandemic.

I do get the feeling these people would say that they're "too busy" to be able to do shit. Yeah, maybe if you stopped spending 12 hours on Twitter, you'd be able to actually do more than just fight random people on Twitter.

How... do you know what they are doing outside of writing posts online?

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Come to California where everybody acts like this all the time in person unless they're over 55 or under 8 years old if you're lucky! You can get away with any form of verbal abuse and harassment as long as you frame it as social justice and designate everyone you dislike as morally inferior!

 

[Snake of Eden]

Come to California where everybody acts like this all the time in person unless they're over 55 or under 8 years old if you're lucky! You can get away with any form of verbal abuse and harassment as long as you frame it as social justice and designate everyone you dislike as morally inferior!

I have seen a documentary about Portland and how it used to be such a progressive city and cool now turned into a cesspool because of protests and counter protests about divisive issues. Really sad and it goes to show what divisionism is able to destroy whole cities and wreak havoc on its livability

 

[9BBN]

I do think that arguments have purposes beyond the intention to convince other people. I think regardless of where people stand at the end of it, the ideas laid out speak for themselves and can expose errors. I would always prefer people debating in disagreement than people affirming in an echo chamber. I also don't think a conversation is performative just because nobody has influence on the matter.

 

[jenny6391bubbles]

How... do you know what they are doing outside of writing posts online?

some people like to overshare every aspect of their lives on twitter or social media in general so it's kinda easy to figure out.

 

[OrcWitch]

There are people who are very performative I agree. For them progressive politics is like a social club or an accessory to their character.

I think most people involved believe in the things they say. There's no way to prove if someone is or isn't genuine about it so I take their word for it.

 

[ThriveOrDie]

I keep seeing a handful of people on Twitter who keep getting into arguments with others with the hope that the person they're talking to will change their minds. Well, it seems to me what they're doing is just make people hate them more and make it even harder for the other person to have an open mind for discussion. And these people, they keep advocating for black rights, rights for the disabled, etc. but ONLY on Twitter. And I see they spend so many hours on that stupid website and I just think that all that energy and effort would be better if they joined an activist or volunteer group instead of fighting random people on the internet. I tried joining one but quit because my mental health is piss poor and I felt that I wouldn't be able to do anything online (parents won't allow me to go out of the house). I really have respect for those activists, helping and donating to poor people especially during the pandemic.

I do get the feeling these people would say that they're "too busy" to be able to do shit. Yeah, maybe if you stopped spending 12 hours on Twitter, you'd be able to actually do more than just fight random people on Twitter.

I don't use Twitter. I never liked it. I have noticed a lot of the political talk on FB is just useless jibber jabber coming from both sides. If you are going to argue with randoms online at least make it a solid argument. And I agree we would be better served as a society to get off our computers and do something.

some people like to overshare every aspect of their lives on twitter or social media in general so it's kinda easy to figure out.

On FB you can tell who is on there all day. FB has made it difficult to find replies to your comments because I believe they are trying to shut down conversation. So people who always reply in a big thread…you know they spent a lot of time there.

And I think it's childish to use ad hominem attacks when having a political discussion. I like the idea of not being in an echo chamber but I won't even talk to people that resort to name calling. I'm too depressed to deal with it.

 

[lostautist]

I completely agree. I think it's a sickness that I've mentioned a few different times here. Twitter and other social media are like a disease, re-segregating people based on ideological, political, socioeconomic, ethnic and other divisions actively promoting and endorsing the growing divisions of people to not finding commonality, but by inciting hatred. So one group gets angry, goes online to state how mad and attack their opposition and feed the feeling the endorphin rush of being 'right' while screaming at something 'wrong'. And perhaps they get angry enough to show up to a rally waving whatever flag and screaming at whatever person doesn't agree with them and go home outraged all the while having done nothing real or beneficial to society as a whole. And there is no sign of any paradigm shift to resolve that hate or anger to find common ground where that energy could be used productively instead of destructively. And it only seems to be getting worse.

I'd do whatever I could do to genuinely help someone, but in these times, if we don't agree on some random topic, that help wouldn't be accepted.

 

[Pluto]

Moreover, much leftist behavior is not rationally calculated to be of benefit to the people whom the leftists claim to be trying to help. For example, if one believes that affirmative action is good for black people, does it make sense to demand affirmative action in hostile or dogmatic terms? Obviously it would be more productive to take a diplomatic and conciliatory approach that would make at least verbal and symbolic concessions to white people who think that affirmative action discriminates against them. But leftist activists do not take such an approach because it would not satisfy their emotional needs. Helping black people is not their real goal. Instead, race problems serve as an excuse for them to express their own hostility and frustrated need for power. In doing so they actually harm black people, because the activists' hostile attitude toward the white majority tends to intensify race hatred.

Would you like to guess who I am quoting? This is from the 1995 manifesto of serial killer Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. I am myself leftist in terms of environmentalism, animal rights, women's equality, etc., but I think he makes a point that rings true to this very day. Self-righteousness and virtue signaling vastly outnumbers people who truly care and can offer intelligent, genuine solutions. So many leftists harm their own causes because they are only interested in attacking and outraging their opponents. The right-wing by comparison uses calculated strategies to actually win elections, but their actual positions on issues are usually insane (eg. tax cuts for billionaires, pro-fossil-fuel activism) because their primary goal is causing upset to their leftist counterparts. Count me out of these 'discussions'. And this 'species'.

As for me, I have no Twitter account and do not engage in debates online. I aspire to live according to my values and be a positive influence on people around me, but internet noise holds no appeal for me.