It's fair to say future historians have their work cut out for them when they try to decipher exactly what went on with the internet of the early decades in the 21st century. Everything from the birth of social media to "memespeak" to whatever we were all doing with Tik Tok during quarantine will definitely many to reconsider their profession uncovering the past. What will stand out most, however, might be the transfer of internet attitudes to real-world actions.
The things we took off our computers, off our phones, that became real, will certainly raise a few eyelids in due time. For now, though, we can only hope people soon outgrow these kinds of toxic behaviors.
Reddit user, u/InsomniacNimrod, wanted to hear:
What toxic behaviour has been normalised by the internet?
How Dare You Attack Caffeine?
Blaming your a--hole behavior on:
- a lack of caffeine
- the phases of the moon or the alignment of the planets/stars
Who You Are Online And Offline
Family members trying to maintain a certain "image" to project to the world. When my brother in law married 2 years ago, my husband's family was all about trying to please the bride and force the image that they were a nice and traditional family (my in laws have been divorced for years and it's far from friendly).
Everything had to be perfect to show everyone on social media outlets. They definitely didn't like me because I don't really play into the whole "be happy for the 'Gram" image. I was 9 months pregnant at their engagement party and was so uncomfortable being anywhere far from the hospital in case I went into labor. But I had to be there, otherwise it would be awkward to explain why my husband was there alone in the pictures.
Should Definitely Not Be An Insult Anymore
Calling people gay if they do something unusual or different.
This mostly happens at school and it really p-sses me off every time I see it happen to someone.
Don't Get On People For What They Want To Do
Well, I think one thing that is utterly stupid and is being normalized is making people believe in imaginary timelines of what their life must look like at 16 or 18 or 20 or 25. This is basically doing nothing but robbing people of their self confidence and pushing them off track or maybe in an endless spiral of depression.
We must understand the fact. When we buy an electronic item or even a cloth it comes with some instructions. None of us are born with any manual on "How to Live your Life". Therefore chuck the notion of comparing your lives with others. They did this, they have been to this country, they are earning this much, they bought this Car and blah blah blah blah.
A Different Belief Is Not An Attack On Your Belief
Attacking someone for a belief that differs from yours
And then justify by stating your personal points against that belief. As if your belief is superior.
Are You Talking Or Bragging?
Bragging about bad mental health.
If it will help in removing some of the stigma associated with mental illness, I'd probably be OK with it
Part of it removes the stigma, but part of it turns mental illness into a trend, a bludgeon with which to use against others, and a pissing contest. For every thoughtful internet discussion on mental illness I see, or for every person using humor to cope, I see 10 people excusing someone's bad behavior because "well they might have depression or anxiety." Or someone screaming over someone else because their diagnosis is greater than yours.
Not to mention the armchair diagnosing, and the fact that while some mental illnesses have been destigmatized to the point of being fashionable, others are still very much stigmatized and used as a flippant way to completely write off human beings.
On reddit, it's cool to have depression and anxiety, but NPD, BPD, and bipolar are just excuses to cut others down (in addition to being way overstated and armchair diagnosed. Your mom being a b-tch once in a while isn't indicative that she is "a narcissist" and needs to be involuntarily committed). There's also a lot of misinformation and old wives' tales circulated about the "acceptable" diagnoses, too.
It's One Moment In A Large Internet History
Mob mentality.
Couple this with bandwagoning, and we have thousands upon thousands of strangers who would hunt people down over a questionable tweet, sending death threats and making them lose their jobs.
Like wew.
How pathetic and empty does someone's life have to be to send death threats over a f-cking tweet?
Do It Because It's Good, Not Because It'll Get You Points
Doing a small favour or good deed for someone, but recording it and posting it on multiple social media platforms. This type of behaviour has been a factor (one of many factors ) in me ending a couple of friendships.
Whatever happed to helping a little old lady cross the street without having a pathological need to display it to the whole world.
Understand Why You Say Things The Way You Do
Political correctness and idealism over realism/pragmatism. People are more interested in "sounding correct" than actually being logically correct these days. People are concerned how their statements will be received by "the tribe".
I can come up with a million stupid comments and posts that are nonsense but would get thousands of upvotes.
Just Go Check Yourself In Under A Bridge
Trolling. So trolling, which kinda came with meme culture, can be humorous and entertaining, but always at another persons expense. Which is like bullying in a way. I understand that it looks way more mild mannered in comparison, but it can be harmful. Any form of bullying can be harmful. And the internet is a catalyst for these types of things.
You don't see who you're interacting with and what's going on on the other side of that screen, how that person is being affected ya know? Trolling is the focal point of many memes and jokes nowadays, so people do it without even thinking about it. So it's super normalized to me.
You Have To Give People A Chance To Grow
Probably a lack of a chance for redemption. People can get fired for some one-time joke they tweeted 6 years earlier that got dug up once they were in the spotlight. They could have easily changed in those 6 years but their record is ruined permanently.
And then there are people who put their real picture on Reddit and set their real name as username, those people blow my mind.
To Worry About Everything Is To Worry About Nothing
Expecting everyone to be perfectly aware of every single thing that's happening in the world at once. Also, not being able to make mistakes.
Between school, work, working out, and trying to enjoy what little free time I have, I don't get to keep up with everything going on in the world - and people will give me sh-t like, "How do you not know this?" Sorry I don't spend every minute of my life on social media.
Exactly. Plus, not only is it absurd to expect people to know everything that's going on in the world, it's also unhealthy. The constant stream of bad news is awful for our mental health. Trying to keep up with everything is like a recipe for depression, really.
Start There. Move On Past It.
Using social media for information instead of doing research.
And the complete lack of backing down from bad information. The lack of apologizing or changing direction when you learn something new. People share falsifications, learn it was wrong information and do nothing...no apology, no clarification.
^By far and large, this.
Fact checking? Critical thinking? Straying from the echo chambers and flood of disinformation on social media?
"lol, this meme hit my trigger point, so I'm going to spread this as though it's fact. I don't really care if it is true or not, only that it matches my cognitive dissonance."
F-ck!
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
- People Break Down Which Toxic Behaviors Are Still Considered Socially Acceptable - George Takei ›
- People Divulge Which Toxic Behaviors Are Becoming More Acceptable Now - George Takei ›
- People Explain Which Things Society Should Normalize - George Takei ›
Have you ever heard of a certain job that people call a career and thought... "PEOPLE PAY YOU FOR THAT?!?!"
All hard, honest work is good work.
And then there is just trash work.
And I don't mean garbage collection, that is honest work.
I don't know how some people live with themselves.
Redditor MrTuxedo1 wanted to discuss the careers they don't believe people should chase. They asked:
"What job do you have no respect for?"
Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
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The nose is constantly being attacked by odors of the world.
Going through one day without having to hold my breath during a certain point, is a miracle.
Of course, I'm a New Yorker, so I maybe exaggerating for people in the countryside.
What's funnier is odors that are pleasant, that shouldn't be.
Have you ever looked and something and thought... "yuck."
But then you smelled it and it was like... "oh lovely,"
Redditor HappQueue wanted to know what aromas are arousing to the senses that may come as a surprise to many. They asked:
"What smells good but shouldn't?"
For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
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At one point in time, we've misplaced things that we've considered priceless possessions.
It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
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What's worse than returning home from a night out or a workday and discovering your home was broken into? Being home when the break-in happens.
Home invasions are a common trope portrayed in horror films like The Strangers and Funny Games, and they're absolutely terrifying because they are based on real-life incidents.
Redditor silentagent47 asked strangers to consider this horrifying hypothetical.
"You have 5 minutes to prepare before a guy breaks into your house with the intention to kill you. You can not exit your house. What is your strategy to survive?"
The hunter becomes the hunted, inspired by TV and movies.
Duplicating A Scene
"There was an episode of Burn Notice where Michael puts aerosol cans in the microwave with kitchen utensils and hits popcorn button. I really want to know if this works or not."
– JohnSterlingSanchez
Epic Burglar Trap
"Speed-watch Home Alone."
– pluribusduim
It's about the choice of weapon.
Jump Scare
"I get the vacuum cleaner ready in a certain room, I turn it on as hes about to enter to create a distraction, then I jump out when he's inspecting the noise and bonk the f'ker on the head with the piece of 2 inch steel tube I keep as a weapon."
– BustedBastard
Beware of Dog
"Unleash the Hounds"
– myassonreddit
Make A Weapon
"Duct tape a bunch of knives to the end of one of those tall lamps to make a spear of blinding and then proceed to go sicko mode."
– DubTheeBustocles
Preparing For A Thwack
"Turn shower on, for some reason I have a shovel behind my wardrobe?? So grab that. Wait for him to check shower, whack with shovel. Boom."
– hypersp00p
It's Just A Game
"Corner camp with a shotgun."
– Arrow3619
A Warm Welcome
"Hairspray and a lighter to his face."
– WorkingClassSheep
The effectiveness of these tactics are questionable, but points for creativity are warranted.
Stand Still
"Put a lamp shade on my head and stand in the corner of the room."
– Cannabis_Sir
Make It Erotic
"I turn on all the lights, take off all my clothes, rub butter all over myself, and start a fake conversation on the phone. As soon as he breaks in I say into the phone: 'I’ve gotta go, my next appointment is finally here…”
– FrankieTheAlchemist
Forget The Stairs
"Go to the LIVING ROOM."
– on-oath-never-again
Removing The Element Of Fun
"Draw an X on my forehead and grab a beer."
– Candycoatedmuffin3
And that's why I would opt for living in a commune or apartment complex.
People who own houses are just asking for forced entry.
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