One thing I have really noticed about presenting an issue on social media, wether it be of monumental significance or a sassy meme, people want to make it about something else.
If I post about child abuse, it will be countered with parental abuse. If I post about one gender, the other will feel the need to counter. In fact it happens with every topic, even wholesome posts. There was one post a couple of years ago about a generation of family members, all laying on the lounge together, I can’t remember the exact details but it was quite touching, all warm and fuzzy like. The debate in the comments became about the grandma having her shoes on the couch. It got nasty and went on and on, the wholesome aspect not even acknowledged 🤦♀️.
Often the counter argument is not fundamentally wrong, but it takes the focus off the seriousness of the topic being addressed. It’s almost mockery of what is being presented.
A few years ago I came across this analogy.
No one ever says anything negative about this post, they get it, they understand without the need to be defensive. They don’t see it as a personal attack, so therefore they accept the concept.
If you’ve read some of my blogs, you might see that I actually do it unintentionally to myself. Because I’m quite used to people coming out swinging for the most inane things, for example I wrote a blog about a great sandwich, followed by a preamble acknowledging that many people don’t have the luxury of a great sandwich. Inherently I felt the need to justify my eating a sandwich. So my innocent blog turns into a guilt ridden part two, because I’ve been conditioned to prepare for the whataboutism.
Cohesiveness really does seem to be a thing of the past. On a personal note I try not to be drawn into the deflective diversions, but sometimes I am guilty of a good old clapback. Diplomatically of course, because to say fuck off idiot, doesn’t land well. But the thing is even with diplomacy, the aggression is the same. I just feel better if I don’t add to it. But I’m not gonna lie, I definitely think all the sarcy things in my head. Lucky mature me is more in control, than tell a bitch me. It wasn’t always that way 🙂 but age has mellowed me.