This post is rather negative so, if you're not looking for negativity, please click on something else. You have been warned.
I have been a frequenter of various social media platforms since the days of MySpace and Bebo. I used to love the interactions and experiences I had on these platforms. Times, they are a-changing though. Sure, back in the day, online abuse was a thing but I feel it wasn't nearly as bad back then as it is now.
In the earlier days of the socials, if somebody did something which was genuinely offensive, you'd report it and the person would be banned. Now, not so much. The vast majority of comments I see on social media posts are absolutely disgusting.
Far too many people seem to forget that everyone else is entitled to have, and voice an opinion, even when it contradicts their own. When faced with other people's views, they become abusive; typically using the most offensive names, like r**ard, n**ce, f**got etc. Those are names I see thrown around on a very regular basis. As an autistic person, the use of the 'r' word really offends me. I have reported several uses of it and nothing has been done about it, despite the fact that it constitutes a hate crime. I also hate the use of no**e in this way, it has started to devalue it's meaning and, in my opinion, belittles the horrific suffering of the victims of actual paedophiles. These days, such names are used purely to try to shame someone into backing down.
Abuse also seems to be the commonly accepted response to being proved wrong. It is not unusual for people to ask for proof of something they're arguing about and when indisputable proof is given for the requester to become aggressive. Instead of admitting that they were wrong or deleting their argument, they start harassing the person who proved them wrong.
Oddly enough, the people who try to beat down other people for having an opposing opinion are usually the same people who defend their own nastiness by crying "FREE SPEECH!"
It really is horrific and in my opinion, it needs to change. I tend to stay away from social media as much as possible these days. I find that it stresses me out far too much. It seems the #bekind movement has been well and truly forgotten.
So, what is the answer to this problem? I'm not sure if there is one. Perhaps it has become too complex to fix. Maybe a combination of education, legislation and tougher action from the companies who run the social networks is the answer. I feel like they don't want to take action though. Banning people means less ad revenue for them and that's not a desirable outcome. I fear we are stuck with things as they are and so, I'm not giving their ads my view. I'll continue avoiding the worst platforms as much as possible until something is done about it.
Anyway, thank you for reading and rant over.