Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think it more like Tweets. How many a day does Trump put out on average ? The TV is what stirs the pot ! .....Talk radio always got blamed, and rightly so, but now today with 24 hour news and talking heads......
I think it more like Tweets. How many a day does Trump put out on average ? The TV is what stirs the pot ! .....Talk radio always got blamed, and rightly so, but now today with 24 hour news and talking heads......
Most people under the age of 50 don't get their news from TV. Fox news stirs up the old radical right wingers. Things like r/chapotraphouse and whatever has replaced it are stirring up the young socialists. MSNBC and CNN are mostly aimed at older, professional class centrist Democrats who complain a lot on the internet but are too comfortable to burn anything down in real life.
There are lots and lots of such places. The locals won't tell you because they don't want their peace shattered. If you had a place where you are escaping the current insanity, would you tell anybody? I wouldn't and they aren't.
Our village fits that definition. There was this guy riding his bike with an American flag and Trump flag. Nobody paid any attention to him. Someone did destroy a BLM matter sign is someone's yard, but that's not the norm here. I see Lightfoot cut outs all over the town, which I don't get because she's not our mayor. I saw an Obama cut out in someones window wearing a mask, which made me laugh. I was about to wave until I noticed it was a cut out.
One size does not fit all, and pockets of insanity is not the norm. We have an Indian couple living on the next block along with a biracial couple. We had so much fun together at the last block party. One of my best friends is from Belize married to a white guy. I'm heartbroken that my Hispanic shorties moved last month. I miss our pizza movie night visits. I miss my little Hindu 8 year old princess and our neighbors 8 year old have Hispanic half white daughter. It was always fun when the two of them spent the night with us.
We don't see color here, we see human beings. There are no riots and I still walk my dog after the evening news. It's peaceful and a bit like Mayberry. No haters allowed.
Best advice: get off the internet. Seriously. The internet is the worst neighborhood if you’re trying to avoid division. Anywhere in the real world is better.
Twitter/Facebook/message boards like this one/ comments sections—they are all more vitriolic, polarized, and embittered than almost anything you’ll encounter in person. Get to know your neighbors. Volunteer in the community. It’s not all sunlight and roses, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the partisan sniping you see online everywhere.
THIS.
The U.S. has hundreds of cities and the vast majority of them are perfectly fine. Let social media and major news networks tell it, 75% of the U.S. is on fire and everybody is shooting each other in the streets.
Most people under the age of 50 don't get their news from TV. Fox news stirs up the old radical right wingers. Things like r/chapotraphouse and whatever has replaced it are stirring up the young socialists. MSNBC and CNN are mostly aimed at older, professional class centrist Democrats who complain a lot on the internet but are too comfortable to burn anything down in real life.
I'm 25 and I watch CNN a lot when something is going down. As for day to day news, I don't really seek it out but it's all over the internet, pretty much every major story will be all over facebook.
Do you honestly for one second think those groups exist in a vacuum? It takes two to tango, and where there's BLM, NBPP, and Antifa, I guarantee there's also right-wing white supremacists...err nationalists like the Proud Boys and Boogaloo Bois.
What are you talking about? Those tiki-torch bearing fellas in Charlottesville were nothing but PATRIOTS!
/EXTREME sarcasm.
Agreed.....avoid the internet to really feel at peace. Live life, safely interact with people in your community in real life.
Last edited by TarHeelNick; 08-31-2020 at 09:44 AM..
Best advice: get off the internet. Seriously. The internet is the worst neighborhood if you’re trying to avoid division. Anywhere in the real world is better.
Twitter/Facebook/message boards like this one/ comments sections—they are all more vitriolic, polarized, and embittered than almost anything you’ll encounter in person. Get to know your neighbors. Volunteer in the community. It’s not all sunlight and roses, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the partisan sniping you see online everywhere.
Truer words have never been typed on a website.
The irony of course is that we are condemning the internet, the very tool which is allowing us to converse on this very topic in real time.
I will agree that Facebook in particular seems to be the site that drums up the most division. I am not on Facebook and never will be, but I have never understood the allure. Why do I want to go on a website to speak with people I have not spoken to in years? If I wanted to speak to you I would have done some years ago.
What has happened is that Facebook has turned into a den of conspiracy theorists, Mean Girls (and guys), and outright propaganda from all sides. All of us would do right to leave it for good.
Also, remember this: if you wonder why Facebook is what it is, keep in mind that it’s founder has admitted that he is a social awkward nerd who never had friends and doesn’t really like people. Not sure why anyone would therefore assume that a website or social network he created would therefore have a positive impact on human connectivity. He and his shareholders want more connections for one thing: to steal your data and to sell it to the highest bidder.
The irony of course is that we are condemning the internet, the very tool which is allowing us to converse on this very topic in real time.
I will agree that Facebook in particular seems to be the site that drums up the most division. I am not on Facebook and never will be, but I have never understood the allure. Why do I want to go on a website to speak with people I have not spoken to in years? If I wanted to speak to you I would have done some years ago.
What has happened is that Facebook has turned into a den of conspiracy theorists, Mean Girls (and guys), and outright propaganda from all sides. All of us would do right to leave it for good.
Also, remember this: if you wonder why Facebook is what it is, keep in mind that it’s founder has admitted that he is a social awkward nerd who never had friends and doesn’t really like people. Not sure why anyone would therefore assume that a website or social network he created would therefore have a positive impact on human connectivity. He and his shareholders want more connections for one thing: to steal your data and to sell it to the highest bidder.
I should add that while I am not on Facebook my wife and mother both are, and they are the ones who told me about the craziness they read on Facebook. My mother in particular often texts me when she reads something from a friend of hers. For all those on here who have older parents, I am sure you are quite familiar with this.
Best advice: get off the internet. Seriously. The internet is the worst neighborhood if you’re trying to avoid division. Anywhere in the real world is better.
Twitter/Facebook/message boards like this one/ comments sections—they are all more vitriolic, polarized, and embittered than almost anything you’ll encounter in person. Get to know your neighbors. Volunteer in the community. It’s not all sunlight and roses, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the partisan sniping you see online everywhere.
I wish we could pin this comment on every thread.
The internet gives a very small minority way to much voice in the “room”
But even around major cities, the outer suburbs are generally safe. I live in the exurbs of Baton Rouge and nothing will ever happen here. The key is that we don't have many white liberals or Antifa types which are the most violent group. The actual black community in Louisiana tends to protest and engage in racial politics at the voting booth but usually don't riot. When the criminal Alton Sterling was killed here, most of the violence was caused by out of state people and it was limited.
Oh yes and that fuss in St. Louis about the homeowners who pulled guns on the thugs threatening their community? That's how any of my neighbors would react to thugs coming into our neighborhood like that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our village fits that definition. There was this guy riding his bike with an American flag and Trump flag. Nobody paid any attention to him. Someone did destroy a BLM matter sign is someone's yard, but that's not the norm here. I see Lightfoot cut outs all over the town, which I don't get because she's not our mayor. I saw an Obama cut out in someones window wearing a mask, which made me laugh. I was about to wave until I noticed it was a cut out. 
