I think the Internet teaches us to hate others. I don’t even mean that to refer to social categorization, although you could go there if you wanted to. I mean like personally, we are all becoming more misanthropic and mistrustful of one another. The far right is ascendant in so many countries because the social contract has been shredded by the Internet.

22

I’ve been told I need to be less nice and got made fun of for saying that people shouldn’t be mean for no reason. Why would you not want to be happy and help others? It’s actually baffling

13

There’s especially no sisterhood anymore between women, specifically in situations with strangers. I used to compliment other women all the time my freshman and sophomore year of college before covid, and the responses were almost always sweet and friendly. Now I don’t do it anymore outside of EDM events because the response is almost always disgust and annoyance

9

I think people are more ignorant and the meanness is a result

7

This goes without saying, but it's all because of the Internet. Everyone feels like an anonymous person and they can get away with whatever because no one knows their true identity so they can get away with cyber bullying. Of course I'm saying this as an anonymous person so I know this sounds very contradictory

2

Yea I got a lot of haters these days

1

Haven’t really noticed a change. Also helps I’m not on social media that much to see the toxic shit.

1

I think we’re more aware of how global of an issue it is, and I think people being mean gets more attention online bc of the way algorithms pick up on spectacle, but I think people have generally been they always have been.

1

I feel like people used to be unintentionally mean but now people are more intentionally mean

1