When I first joined this community I saw it as a respite from reddit where I was free to chill with people without being constantly expected to debate or defend arguments or anything. Just a forum where people are nice.
Lately though it seems every active comment section is filled to the brim with, to be frank, obnoxious people who want nothing more than to fight with you about everything you say. I think they’re known as “debate bros.”
I’m not saying debate shouldn’t be happening but to be honest it’s disappointing seeing it be the only thing occurring. I’ve tried contributing in other fashions but have been met multiple times with people trying to start arguments with me about things or get me to defend “points” that I didn’t make. This in particular has been very annoying. I’ve reported every instance of this due to it not contributing but I feel as if that’s not helping.
I like talking to people I disagree with. I like conversing with differing opinions. But I feel alone in that this isn’t the only thing I want to do on a forum.
Again, I’m not trying to definitively say we shouldn’t debate at all, but just pointing out how prevalent it seems to be. Id like to just converse with people without being expected to make and defend points. I feel like that’s a major thing we should’ve left on Reddit.
If people want to debate then they can do that. I just dislike that it appears to become the base-level expectation for the instance.
I don’t know if this is a direct answer to what you said exactly but over the last decade give or take the whole of the internet has seemingly been getting more toxic, argumentative, unable to have a back and forth discussion, and it seems like it’s happening out in the world in society more too. I think things are getting to a breaking point in a lot of different places and I wonder if that has anything to do with some of it. There’s a lot of people who can’t manage to simply be nice to each other, so it’s kind of disheartening at times.
From my perspective specifically as a Canadian, it seems that it’s an American/North American thing. Some threads I was in on reddit would be full of vitriol and hate until the Europeans woke up; then I would have some actual conversations. Of course, this is just what I think. May be other reasons for that.
I’m in the US and elections coming up next year isn’t helping, but politics wise without getting into it, there are massive issues all over, as far as I know right now especially in Canada, the UK, Australia and I think Italy too. I’m sure there’s more than that. We’re all on the edge of our seats especially folks in any minority groups waiting to see what happens and it’s a lot of constant stress. I think it causes people to be more likely to snap and argue as well, not to excuse it but I dunno. I’m sure there’s a lot of things going on all at once too.