The Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore.
From the Ricky Gervais Facebook page.
Over the last few months, I’ve gotten really tired of the internet. Maybe that’s a bit broad, I’ve really gotten tired of social networking.Which feels like all of the internet anymore. It’s getting increasingly negative, and it’s wearing me out. It’s really getting to the point that it’s not fun anymore.
For me to say that the social thing isn’t fun is a big deal. I’ve been on social networks longer than I haven’t at this point. Bolt, Xanga, Live Journal, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and a seemingly endless list of minor networks that never really took off. It’s been amazing to have places to share ideas, and through this sharing of ideas to analyze beliefs that I hold. But anymore, we’re not sharing ideas. We’re yelling at each other trying to convince everyone that our ideas are the right ones. That all other ideas are wrong. And that’s not helpful, and it’s not fun.
It’s not just the major web crusades that make me feel this way (although they don’t help). It’s the minor things too. It’s that when I post about an operating system, I get responses about how I got the wrong one and should have gotten something else. It’s when I post that a service doesn’t work for me (and why), I get responses saying “but why” when I’ve already explained it. It’s when every feed I have is overflowing with judgy, negative, nasty comments. It’s just…I’m over it.
There are still a few places that are fun. Places where most comments don’t start with “Well actually….” Mostly Instagram and Pinterest. Our little Pure Geekery Facebook group overall is just people having fun and sharing the nerdy stuff they find. I enjoy writing here, although the promotion is not fun.
So where do we go from here? I can be guilty of the negative posts, so I’m starting with me. I’m going to work on sharing articles that are less judgemental. Ones that aren’t “this is wrong and people who believe this way are assholes” but are more “here’s another way of looking at it.” And puppies. More pictures of puppies. (To start with, More Accurate Dog Breed Names, which a friend shared the other day and made me smile).
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Nicole is a Software Quality Engineer, music collector, and chronic project starter. In her free time she enjoys reading trashy romance novels, catching up on her game backlog, and bourbon.
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Half of the time, I know what the trolls are going to say before I even post something. It flings me into anxiety mode, and makes me hesitate posting something that is really great, and potentially influential, and important, and sometimes just FUN. Remember when the internet used to be FUN? Now I censor myself constantly. Well, what if I offend…
I’ve had to force myself to stop worrying so much. I’m probably going to offend people. I’m not perfect. And I’m pretty damn outspoken most of the time. *shrug* If people don’t like what I have to say…they don’t have to read it. It’s a nice thought isn’t it…don’t think I’m not still sweating and stressing on the other side of my computer every time I hit that Publish button!
It’s not even that I’m worried about offending people. It’s more that there’s negativity all over that just makes me not even want to have a discussion. Or even worse, makes it impossible to have a discussion. We’re not respectful of each other anymore. There’s an “if you don’t agree with me you’re evil” vibe. And it’s not fun. (Although hopefully some of that will go away since it’s after election season.)
I know this post is old; 3 years to be exact, but I’ve just had it with SN. I’m done! I have never heard it said better, Nicole, indeed. It’s not just a difference of opinion anymore, it’s an attack mode, whenever you say anything contrary to their beliefs. One can’t just say, “Well, I don’t agree with that because…”. They have to attack with hate and insults, just because your opinion differs. The saddest part is this mentality has gone all the way to the top of our governments, and I’m not just talking about the USA. Take a look at the Philippines Duterte. So much hate in this world, and it’s not getting any better. If you don’t agree, you’re a hater, and you should be condemned to ridicule, because I’m right and there are no two ways about it. I’ve blocked all social networking, even for my business. I work around that minor issue. I’m tired of fending off trolls, even in my work account. Manners? A thing of the past. Kids are not taught manners anymore, and their parents were not taught manners. No respect, for anyone anymore. Very sad digital world we created. I work in computers, and everyday I hate what it’s done to people more and more. Computers were supposed to make life easier, not drive kids to suicide. Sorry, off on a tangent with my rant. That’s my two cents!
I’m getting to this place too. I don’t like social media most of the time, but I have to keep with it because of my Etsy shop and blog and those few people I enjoy interacting with. I do try very hard to be positive on my blog though. There’s enough negativity and hate out there so I try to focus on things I love and am passionate about. Of course, all the negativity elsewhere still wears me down and stresses me out. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but it’s getting more and more difficult to do so.
“Wears me down” is the most accurate phrasing I think.
This. Everything about this.
I completely agree with you. The internet can absolutely get incredibly frustrating and awfully negative. It isn’t fun if you know anything you say or post is going to be met with someone on a crusade or some rando troll.