this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2024
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Unpopular Opinion

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If you're jumping into online discussions only to throw hate and insults, you're just being an asshole, regardless of the cause. (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 month ago by ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee to c/unpopularopinion@lemmy.world
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There’s nothing wrong with criticism or calling out bad behavior. However, shouting "ACAB" in a thread about police violence, making jokes about beheading rich people, or throwing "muskrat" comments in discussions about Elon Musk, just to name a few examples, makes you an asshole and part of the reason why social media is so incredibly toxic.

If you're doing that while also explaining why you feel that way, then it’s still not the best approach, but at least you're contributing to the conversation instead of just making noise. Throwing out insults without adding substance doesn't challenge anyone or encourage meaningful discussion; it just perpetuates the toxic environment that so many of us complain about.

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[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

It's a tough call whether or not this is unpopular, though I think it is.

I also agree with most of the expressed opinion of the post, though I would argue that it isn't always toxic.

Those one word comments are a waste of space.

You can express the same thing in a better way. I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed to do it, but it's not going to do anything useful other than signaling other people that already agree.

However, that has its benefit. You used a perfect example where a post about police violence is made. ACAB popping up in a thread about that is a sign of solidarity as much as a signal.

It's when there's a post about something like a police department releasing information about an event that it becomes toxic, even though it is still a sign of solidarity.

In other words, there's nuance to that kind of symbol. It's the text equivalent to a raised fist in a crowd. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on context.