I'm not sure if my recent experiences on social media are an indictment of most of social media or just a reflection of a sharp decline in the hearts of man.
I've been on an American firearms forum for over 18 years. Since February of 2000. It was made up of a majority of white conservative males. Mostly Christian, mostly blue collar, mostly like me.
There were very little insults or flaming. People that showed up that were rude or insulting were shown the door.
Then it began changing. It became more agnostic and more progressive. Sexual innuendos and attacks on Christians became tolerated.
It has grown to over 80k members and is no longer a place where mutual respect is shown and rude people are shown the door. The most rude, crass, sexually depraved, and insulting bullies are the most popular and allowed to attack and insult others.
I left the site a couple of years ago for about a year. I felt God led me back to be an example of Christ's love and to be somewhat of a missionary.
I am now leaving again. The personal insults and attacks are just overwhelming. I just am unable to ignore the insults like others.
For some reason, people revel in the anonymity of the social media structure and use it to say things they would never say to someone in person.
I am a big guy; 6'2" and muscular. I am not accustomed to random strangers coming up to me and saying the most foul and provoking things. But on social media, it is a near daily occurrence.
Perhaps it is just a personal flaw that I am unable to not let attacks by random strangers affect me.
So while I will no longer frequent the former site, I wonder if my experiences there are typical of social media sites across all types.
Are people getting more and more insulting and mean on social media?
Is that a reflection of humanity in general?
So bunch of stuff here.... bunch of different answers...
1. It's not just on social media, it is literally everywhere. Our entire culture as a nation, built on Judaeo-christian values, has been completely eliminated. It has fallen apart everywhere... meaning... absolutely everywhere.
Every aspect of society has rather quickly come apart, all the way down to basic common decency. The most basic ideas of mutual respect, have given way to shear foolishness.
2. This is made worse on the internet where people hiding behind their computer screens, can feel as though they stuck it to someone else, knowing you can't find them. Truth is, most bullies are cowards, which is why they strike behind avatars and screen names.
Anyone of them faced with the most pathetic of people, would wither into a crying ball on the ground. That is in fact exactly why they act like bullies on the internet play ground. Because in real life, they are entirely wimps.
3. We happen to be in a period of time where hate and evil, is celebrated by the media, especially in relation to guns. You said you were on a gun forum, so I have no doubt you have people there specifically to attack law abiding people who exercise their rights.
We literally had a dumb student on national TV, imply that a sitting member of the Senate was responsible for mass murder, and no one stopped him. No questioned him. Cruelty, and hate, and personal attacks, are not only fashionable, but praised.
Oddly, it means we need people like you more than ever, to show decency in our country.
4. The experience with your forum is actually rather typical of not only forums, but almost any group of people at all. You can apply this to any club, group, or organization. Companies, churches, small villages, all go through this.
Any time you start off with a small group of people, you end up with a tight knit family of friends. People are kind and decent, because it is a small group of people and everyone knows everyone.
But as with most such things, if the place grows, then the culture will change. The faster it grows, the bigger the change.
I had the same thing with a gaming club I was part of. We had about 20 to 30 people. Everyone knew everyone. Everyone was nice, and friendly. Everyone played together, and were very social.
Then the club got new management. The new management wanted to grow the club. So all the rules about being decent and nice, were removed. They started adding people without vetting them. Dozens joined every week.
Same thing happened. Tons of sexual jokes, tones of crud talk. Jerks and bullies joined. Drama started all over the place. It was ridiculous and I left. In roughly 6 months, the club I had been in for years, was completely gone, and a new club that had nothing appealing for me, was in it's place.
The only way to keep the same culture, is to vet people joining carefully, teach people consistently, and assimilate people into the culture. (ironically a good bit of advice for national immigration debates).
If a church grows too fast, the entire culture of the church will change. If a village grows too fast, the entire culture of village will change. If the nation allows too much immigration too fast, the entire culture of a nation will change.
But back to you.... what should you do?
Well, there are a few answers. First, because you said it, I have to mention this.
You yourself said "I felt God led me back to be an example of Christ's love and to be somewhat of a missionary."
A: If that is true, then you need to think clearly about what it means to be a missionary. Missionaries are abused, and keep going. They are hated, and they keep working.
This is the 'pick up your cross and follow me' directive. This is what being a missionary is all about. I don't know what you thought it meant to show the love of G-d to people, but if Jesus is any example, it means being almost pushed off a cliff, almost stoned to death, and ultimately spit on, beaten, and crucified. All for the love of others.
So you simply have to think about that. That's something only you need to wrestle with, because you are the one who thinks they were called to be a missionary to those people on that forum.
B: On the other hand, maybe you need to leave. I never felt I was called to be a missionary to that gaming club, so I simply left it. There was no point to staying in that toxic anti-social environment, where my existence was not valued.
Getting out of a toxic situation is sometimes what you have to do, so you can be a value in other situations.
C: Maybe you simply continue doing what you do, but filter out the trash. Bottom line, there is trash out there. Sorry, but there is. There are people who have only one purpose, and that is to make you crazy. They don't care what you have to say, don't care what problems they cause, they get all their fun by driving other people nutz.
I've been on the internet since 1997. What do you do? You mute. Or ignore. If you don't know, on this forum, and most others... you click on the persons name, find the "ignore" button. Then refresh the page, and that person ceases to exist. I'm pretty quick to ignore people. I'll talk with absolutely anyone, who honestly talks back.
But people start acting insane, and I put them on ignore. I just don't have much tolerance for blatant stupidity. And honestly, after a few weeks, I forget these people even exist.
So ignore them. And keep talking, and doing what you think you should with the decent people that are left.
Don't let them get to you, just ignore them. Their posts cease to exist once you ignore them.
D: And lastly, maybe you do need to learn to build some resistance to people like this. Maybe the real lesson G-d wants you to learn is to not let these people drive you crazy with their coward chatter. I don't know. Lots to think about. Lots to ask the Lord about.
