• mittens [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    Yeah 4chan can only hook you in if you feel identified with the people that post there, while you're one of them, the minute you notice they're not like you it loses its spell instantly.

    It's very damaging because it's a deeply alienating website. Even outside of the fashy stuff, it was a really fringe place in a way people IRL were not. Feeling deeply identified with the online freaks makes it a vicious circle, it deepens your emotional dependence on your online friends. This cuts you off from the world, like you're in some cult. Like instantly receiving a -10 in social skills.

    • LoudMuffin [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      It’s very damaging because it’s a deeply alienating website. Even outside of the fashy stuff, it was a really fringe place a way people IRL we’re not. This cuts you off from the world, like you’re in some cult. Like instantly receiving a -10 in social skills.

      Yeah, I got hit with my first major depressive episode at 15 and it really did not help that I had gotten really into posting there at that time. I think a lot about what my life would be like had I not ever gone there. I'm grateful to it in some ways (it was waaay less toxic pre-Gamergate) because it introduced me to a lot of really cool shit but it's really an echo chamber of insecurity and with fascism having overtaken then entire site now there's really nothing worthwhile there anymore

      • mittens [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        The way I see it, it was like building some sort of inmune system against fascist ideas, I guess. I think it could've been worse. Also some of its fringe interests have turned a bit more mainstream now, you can reinvent yourself as some sort of bon vivant connoisseur of the finer japanese arts.

        • LoudMuffin [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          oh yeah, I ran into a /pol/ moron IRL (I managed to confirm it LMAO) and it's funny fucking with him because he has caught me dicking around on reddit so he thinks I'm some naive redditor but I know the truth :xi-gun:

          • spectre [he/him]
            ·
            3 years ago

            Lol I've had the same thing happen and been aware of when he's spewing obvious /pol shit, but I don't keep up with what they are ahead of time so I can't dunk that hard on it.