10 reasons why there is a lack of mercy on social media
In today's society, it often seems that mercy and the benefit of the doubt are in short supply. Beyond religious contexts, it can be challenging to find individuals or groups that truly embody these values. Instead, everyone appears to have an ulterior motive, and even online communities that claim to be tolerant can quickly turn on those who hold differing opinions.
I don't have a solution on how to best encourage prosocial behavior when the reward for being unforgiving and lacking mercy is so high.
1. Tribalism
Both left and right-leaning groups often display tribal behaviors, where loyalty to the group can overshadow individual acts of compassion. This tribalism can lead to hostility towards those who hold differing opinions, as ideological purity becomes a marker of group identity.
2. Nefarious Mind Reading
In many online and offline interactions, there's a pervasive suspicion of ulterior motives. This suspicion can lead to a lack of trust and a readiness to assume bad intentions, making it difficult to extend mercy or the benefit of the doubt.
3. Virtual people don't appear to be real people
The more abstracted we are from people the less concern we have for them. We don't see the real world impacts of our words. Words do not convey the same human emotion as facing a person. We don't fire mirror neurons when responding to text from a stranger.
4. Group Size
As groups grow larger and more diverse, maintaining a sense of collective responsibility and extending mercy can become more challenging. In smaller, more homogenous groups, personal interactions can foster understanding and forgiveness more easily.
5. People bear no burnt being unforgiving in fact they receive validation for not showing mercy
The anonymity provided by social media platforms often leads to a lack of accountability. People are more likely to engage in harsh or unkind behavior when they feel they cannot be easily identified or held responsible for their actions.
6. Hypocrisy
Even self-proclaimed champions of critical thinking and reason can be guilty of the same tribalism they claim to condemn. There is no forgiveness or mercy; instead, they assume bad intentions and premeditated planning, often succumbing to paranoid views of others as part of an "us versus them" mentality.
7. Vengeance: Being criticized by others make you critical of others
People who have been victims of social media attacks lash out at others to make up for wrongs that they have endured from others.
8. Easier to dehumanize and cancel people on social media
The digital nature of social media can lead to the dehumanization of others. It is easier to be unkind to a profile picture or username than to a real person, making it less likely for users to extend mercy.
9. Echo Chambers
Social media algorithms tend to create echo chambers where users are exposed primarily to viewpoints that reinforce their own beliefs. This can lead to a lack of empathy and understanding for those with differing opinions, fostering an "us versus them" mentality.
10. Virality
Social Media algorithms are driven more by negative sentiment than be positive ones. Your post will go moral viral if it's steeped in negative emotions.
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