• sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 months ago

    This sounds like a general issue of: if you’re at the margins of society, you’re going to have a bad time on social media. Social media is a distillation of the majority opinion on things (i.e. the most extreme versions of majority opinions), and if the majority is intolerant, you’ll get the worst of the intolerance.

    For example, society’s general perception is that sex work is gross, so the most extreme view of that is that sex work is literally corrupting our kids, so you’ll get that kind of pushback on social media. A lot of people are uncomfortable with LGBT issues, so the most extreme form of that is attacking LGBT people. Unpopular opinions tend to get attacked, extreme forms of popular opinions tend to stay and get boosted (usually the extreme form is hidden 3-4 levels deep in a discussion thread).

    • VerticaGG@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      5 months ago

      Important to remind people that it’s not theoretical when we talk about it. It’s real human beings that are being scapegoated. It’s real abusers that get a smokescreen.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        I 100% agree, which is a huge part of why I don’t engage much with social media. Lemmy is literally it for me.

        I’m not in a marginalized group, I just refuse to engage with that nonsense. I don’t have any solutions for those who are impacted, other than try to build real-world connections with people. Maybe local meetups are a good option here, idk.

        Good luck out there! Stay safe!

        • VerticaGG@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Thanks. Vest advice I have to any person looking to help, is dont just be a passive ally. Step up as an accomplice. When there’s a police protected parade of alt-right demonstrators, show them that they’re outnumbered. The SRA does a good job of that, as one example.

          The other advice is that whatever space you exist in, be proactive in showing bigots that there’s no place at the table at your club.

          To anyone reading: Just dont do nothing. You are as powerful as your solidarity.