Online, moralizing is part of the scrum of communities attempting to define and protect their values; it’s worst on Twitter because that’s where communities are allowed no distinct spaces but are instead mixed like armies on a battlefield; they have no choice but to fight. Nevertheless, it’s been amazing to me to see how ubiquitous sanctimony has become, how social our moralizing has become, how relentless our politicization and judgment.
[…]
There is no self-flattery like privileging your own moral conceptions over those of others, because moral elevation is something we all seek. Humans in general like to know that they are “good,” especially in the sense of being “in good standing” with their community; there is no cheaper and easier way to accomplish this than by othering, which is why humans do it. Narratives that make othering easier will always be popular online. And the more “intellectual” they seem, the better.
This piece perfectly sums up the revulsion I’m starting to feel toward Twitter. As I’ve said before, I’ve long suspected that, whereas television turned all public discourse into entertainment, social media (particularly as expressed in Twitter) makes everything about you and turns all discussion into a kind of rabid fandom. Glib, reductionist moralizing has become perhaps the most effective way for the ambitious narcissist to attract a substantial social media following in 2015, and scorched Earth shaming of any opposing viewpoint has become a major source of group identity. As journalist Chris Hedges once wrote, “War is a force that gives us meaning”.
(via buzz)
I never used Twitter enough to appreciate this sentiment fully, though I could see how it could happen.
I’ve seen something similar on Tumblr, though it feels like it’s to lesser extent. I wonder what makes Tumblr different, if anything. Is it the type of users it attracts, and twitter repels?
tinfoilparachute 