Watch Out - Shit Posts Can Rub Off On You
If you aren't aware, a shitpost is a technical term. It's not just a bad post or something lacking "value", it is a negative to a topic, board or conversation online that takes away from the focus at hand or that would really be given to something.
Simply put, it is a trolling post designed to offend, incite or annoy. It's an ass being an ass for the sake of being an ass because one likes to be an ass.
The actual definition is:
The act of posting large amounts of content of "aggressively, ironically, and trollishly poor quality" to an online forum or social network, in some cases intended to derail discussions or otherwise make the site unusable to its regular visitors.
Not shockingly, it appears that the term started up on Encyclopedia Dramatica and then made its way around reddit and 4chan. Now, I am sure plenty of you "grew up" on these sites. Plenty of you have fond memories of the good ol' days even. That being said, I think that we can all agree that shitposting is best left off the block chain.
Now, of course I am new on here. Even with that though, I have an opinion.
Don't we all?
Interestingly enough there was a study done on meaningless internet information and it showed that it was one of the larger contributors to low self-esteem and unrealistic expectations that we face today So, you see, these kinds of posts can do more harm for you and it isn't a matter of them being a bit of harmless fun.
Communication and Community
Once upon a time, we were all in a tribe and we had a job. During the period of time when our kind were hunter and gatherers, we had a more communal living situation. There wasn't excess, there wasn't ownership and there wasn't a hierarchy. Today there is and it is well established. Offering something of value creates a dialogue for both debate and discussion. When this happens, you forge new bonds and boundaries within relationships. This social interaction is vital to a healthy mental state.
The act of shit-posting is really just a rehashing of the old trolling, which we saw in the earlier days of the internet. Trolling continues to be prevalent now as well. This action can sometimes seem sincere, but then when realized that the act isn't sincere, a person can feel bad not only because they have been harassed but also because they feel insulted, insecure or unintelligent by getting roped in by the troll.
i get that chaos is a thing. There is a place for discord and contrarian beliefs, but the general internet is not the place. by partaking in these activities, you potentially could be hurting someone.
No one ever thinks of it, but because of the anonymity of people online, trolling isn't that hard. For a younger person without the knowledge of work to understand, hat time takes to work with mom or work with dad. Without understanding that this kind of behavior takes away from the day and realizing that time is money, the troll could be mostly harmless. However, there is more danger than one may think.
Why Troll Postings is Harmful
If you are the one that is posting shitposts, I am aware that whatever I say here in the next bit can and will be used against me in the court of the Kek. That being said... here is a good article about the psychology of trolling. It brings up a few good points.
What I have never understood was why?
Why, if something is not going to benefit you, would you do it? Why bother if you don't actually get any answers or solutions? Do you really have so little to do with your life that your source of entertainment must come from frustrating others? Do you not understand what kind of negative this can be for you and your life?
I always assumed that the majority of trolls were male and that from them, these were the same kinds of people that watch pornography without a care in the world for the person on the other side of the camera. Trolling displays behavioral traits close to a risk taker male, at the best and a sociopath at the worst. Funny enough, I came across results posted from a recent study published on ScienceDirect.com that talked about the level of psychopathy and the tendencies of the internet troll. With increased cases of cyberbullying and the more invasive forms of shitposts, there seem to be more studies done on this kind of thing. Unlike other questionable online activities, this one is definitely linked with a plethora of negative. There is no doubt about the fact that there is something wrong and off about internet trolls.
Sifting Through Shit
When you come across a person that is shitposting or a troll of any online variety, the best thing that you can do for your own mental health, as well as others is to ignore. IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE!
Giving any energy to the troll is only going to embolden them and just because they may not get under your skin, they will likely continue on with their behavior. Engaging trolls is not just a temporary past-time. Each time you do, when you argue or put energy towards these kinds of people you are telling them that they will get a rise and that they are on the right track towards getting the attention that they want. Remember the old adage, negative attention is still attention that is usually applied towards smaller children. This adage holds true here.
When someone is being an asshole just to be an asshole you become the asshole when you engage. When you clean up shit, shit always gets spread around when you smear it. That's gross. So is engaging a shit-poster.
That is all!
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