|
4chan and its spin-off sites are a sort of imagined outcast paradise. People (mostly young boys/men) who feel different see it as an edgy "alternative" hangout, safe from their parents and the kids at school. The posts are usually short, easily digested. The images provide constant visual stimulation. These factors, combined with the fast rate of submitted posts, make it very easy to just keep hitting F5 and waste hours. You see an enormous amount of content just scrolling, viewing various threads and boards. Boards you're interested in never seem to run out of new discussion. And the darker stuff is either avoided, or might give you a risk-free voyeuristic buzz -- you're anonymous, who really knows the terrible stuff you're seeing here? Over time, the enormous mix of content you've seen makes you feel familiar with the site. Eventually, you start posting, confident that you know your way around. At this point, I think two major psychological factors come into play: mob-mentality, and the apparent disconnection between your internet culture and reality. The other interesting question about chan culture is how it came to be the playground of young boys/men (who are usually white). What about the idea of 4chan appealed to that demographic? Off the top of my head, I think that it's mostly because 4chan was intertwined with nerd culture, which was already heavily balanced towards young white guys.
|
#
¿
May 14, 2015 03:53
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 19:19 |
|
|
LeftistMuslimObama posted:In real life, a lot of people who get categorized as nerds are often ridiculed for being unathletic, for being uninterested in sports, for being weak or small, or any number of other traits that are often identified as "feminine". In their desire to assert themselves as "not a girl", and aided by the anonymity of places like 4chan, they go way too far in the other direction. Great point. Some people react to the realization that they're "different" from their imagined cultural ideal by doubling down with the system that is *supposed* to be right or benefit them (in their mind). That's how you get things like anti-gay republicans with grindr profiles, or women who "aren't like those other bitches". Or, in this case, guys who viciously defend what little power they have online to avoid the perceived threat of losing it. It's self defeating, but culture is so psychologically powerful that this reaction is hard to resist. The question now is: how can we remove people from this cycle, or help prevent it in the first place? I think that education could be really useful for prevention, especially since these social processes begin in childhood/adolescence. More information gives people more flexibility in dealing with their identity.
|
|
#
¿
May 14, 2015 20:07
|
|
|
Bedlamdan posted:https://archive.moe/v/thread/294463531/#294464707 quote:When will we be able to torch all SJWs Look at all that hard-hitting, creative content.
|
|
#
¿
May 15, 2015 01:46
|
|