Borrowing the thought from Ed Zitron, but when you think about it, most of us are exposing ourselves to low-grade trauma when we step onto the internet now.
That's the risk of being in a society in general, it's just that we interact with people outside way less now. If one doesn't like it, they can always be a hermit.
Not just that, but that algorithms are driving us to the extremes. I used to think it was just that humans were not meant to have this many social connections, but it's more about how these connections are mediated, and by whom.
Worth reading Zitron's essay if you haven't already. It sounds obvious, but the simple cataloging of all the indignities we take for granted builds up to a bigger condemnation than just Big Tech.
https://www.wheresyoured.at/never-forgive-them/
Definitely. It's a perfect mix of factors to enable dark sides of our personas. I belive everyone has certain level of near sociopathic perverse curiosity, and certain amount of need to push the limits, if there are no consequences for such behaviors. Algorithms can only affect so much. But gore sites, efukt, countless whatsapp/facebook/signal/whatever group that teens post vile things in are mostly due to childish morbid curiosity and not due to everyone being a literal psycho.
Is there any way to look at this that doesn't resort to black or white thinking? That's a rather extreme view in itself that could use some nuance and moderation.
I'm not very good with words so I can only hope the reader will be able to understand that things are not black and white, but that its a spectrum that depends on countless factors, cultural, societal and other.
What's more; popular TV shows regularly have scenes that could cause trauma, the media has been ramping up the intensity of content for years. I think it's simply seeking more word of mouth 'did you see GoT last night? Oh my gosh so and so did such and such to so and so!'
