Maybe it's just that I have more time to visit social media now, or maybe it's that I now feel pretty positive most days that I'm noticing it more, but people seem to be getting more aggressive and cynical about minor things every day. I'm noticing it everywhere, here about BFC, on twitter about politics, at work about management, emotions seem to be running far higher than ever before with people being poles apart. I'm not sure the reason behind it (or the point of this post really!) but it feels like everyone is just so ANGRY and at odds with each other all the time. I think the reason I'm posting this here is because I feel that is the biggest downfall of this board now. Not 'negative' posts, not 'repetitive' posts, just petty squabbling and everyone putting each other down.
I've got to agree JD.. I've been thinking that myself lately. The humour seems to have disappeared along with many posters. I've met some cracking people through this forum who have become friends....and Whitey . Joking aside it does seem to be a rather depressing place on here. i was always on here looking to see what the latest rumour was or what gossip was going around, now I go days without a thought because i know it's going to be the same old same old.
On reflection I have to agree and I've let myself down today by getting sucked in to a petty squabble. I've broken my own rule of being nice to everyone and only posting daft things to try and make people laugh. I now officially love everyone on here again and I'll try to avoid getting drawn in again. Nice weekend everybody!
I saw a thought-provoking post the other day on facebook I think it was (if it was here and you remember posting it then sorry). Basically it said that if you are talking to a stranger face-to-face you generally tend to start off by finding common ground and then adding in your 'but's and differing opinions or just staying silent/changing the subject if a person in a group is going on about boring old rubbish. However, when online, people often start by pointing out the things they disagree with first or sometimes only those things. It struck a chord with me because I realised that I do that frequently. I'm always looking on the bright side of things and trying to give people the benefit of the doubt in person but I often read posts I agree with online and silently think 'yep' and move on, but if I see something I feel is incorrect or I just disagree with then I'll post my opinion. It's got to the point where if my husband hears me typing he'll jokingly say 'are you arguing with someone on the internet again?' Now, I'm in no means a troll at all but I do seem to find myself posting far more disagreements than agreements (and the ones in the latter category tend to be me backing someone up in an disagreement they are having with someone else). I just thought it was something to bear in mind and possibly think about why that was the case.
The best thing about Social Media is that it allows you to communicate with people around the world on topics of your choosing. The worst thing about Social Media is that it allows you to communicate with people around the world on topics of your choosing. Anyone sat at a keyboard can type anything they want with little fear of the repercussions you would expect if you said the same thing to the same person in the pub. Between this loss of social convention and the way that text can appear ruder than normal it makes conversations descend into arguements quicker than they would normally. Its either that, or we all spend too much time talking to Americans.
Would be a great title for a celebrity mud wrestling show, between famous Poles, presented by Alan Partridge. Episode 1, Lech Walesa vs Donald Tusk?
I thought it was a thread about how little we seemingly do to try and get the Polish community in Barnsley to come and watch our team.
Apart from this forum (which does indeed infuriate me from time to time), the only social media I use is Instagram. It's just pictures. I can take interest in people I know or famouses that I like without having politics, race, religion or whatever else slapped across my face. I despise Facebook, I daren't even sign up to twitter in fear of receiving death threats which appears to be the norm. I'm happy with my pictures. And the occasional rant on here. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
A genuine answer to the original poster is that a lot of social media, like facebook, the vast majority of people share the same interests, political views, etc & these are largely reinforced. On here we're all totally different. The only thing we largely have in common is supporting BFC. Hence we have different stances on different things. I think largely that's why it works. There is some bullying at times & insults flying round, but it's pretty mild, compared with attending Holgate School in the 1970's...