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Twenty years ago you'd see this in people who were rigid and felt everyone needed to follow the rules, and if they caught someone not abiding by the rules, they were going to make sure there was a price to pay. We used to say they had a stick up their behind.
Now? Completely different dynamic due to social media. People have become angry about a lot of things over the years and they take it out on others via witch hunts and ratting people out. If you don't like what someone has said or posted? Tell the world on social media and let's make sure that person suffers through the loss of a job and friends. Let's post their address and phone number, or the name of the school their children attend. It's dangerous. What you're seeing is more on a local level, but it's the same thing.
I honestly think this came about by design, rather than something that's evolved in a generic way. Divide and conquer - and it's working.
By reporting someone who doesn't follow the rules they are attempting to make themselves look good simply because they do follow the rules. Or they are frustrated that they are taking the time and effort to comply so why shouldn't all others.
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I wonder if you should make a difference between snitches and tattle-tales?
In my opinion, snitches are people roundly hated by criminals, because they can't continue their criminal behavior with someone calling the cops to report the house next door is being burglarized or the car next door being stolen.
Tattle tales are people everyone kind of hates. They report minor infractions that no one wants to bother to deal with, or procedural stuff like someone left their trash cans on the curb too long or their grass has grown too high.
I'm referring to those who would do things like report someone who violated social distancing laws, just as one example.
Your title shows your own bias.
To me, for most things, confronting or reporting transgressions is proper, and helps society function. Terming it by the degrading word "snitches" brings to mind people who approve of gangsters saying silent to protect other criminals.
I'm referring to those who would do things like report someone who violated social distancing laws, just as one example.
It depends upon the circumstances (or what they stand to gain). Who would snitch in re: social distancing; that simply doesn't sound like a thing to me, lol. When a friend divulges information/motivation of another friend to a perceived 'enemy', however, the gain/reasoning can be a bit more intriguing (or they simply don't want to be part of/accountable for another's actions). In any event, to explore the psychology behind it - look to the 'gain' and/or desired outcome (as with any behavior); it's usually simple, or downright obvious, to dissect.
When I read the title, however, I assumed you meant jailhouse snitches from your terminology. : )
Last edited by CorporateCowboy; 05-09-2020 at 06:38 PM..
To me, for most things, confronting or reporting transgressions is proper, and helps society function. Terming it by the degrading word "snitches" brings to mind people who approve of gangsters saying silent to protect other criminals.
There has to be some discretion involved regarding what is and isn't worth reporting, however. I think we all know or have known people who fit the 'nosy neighbor with too much time on his/her hands' stereotype...those people tend to be more mere annoyance than boon to society.
I'm referring to those who would do things like report someone who violated social distancing laws, just as one example.
For this example specifically, I haven't heard of it happening in real life, but I have seen people complaining on social media about, say, a party down the street or public gatherings that seem to be violating the social distancing guidelines...although concern for public health may well be a factor in many, if not all, of those complaints, my first thought about such complainers tends to be, 'these are people who likely never have parties to go to, anyway, and thus aren't missing anything during this current era and can't imagine that others could be missing a significant component of their lives'. One guy I know from the casino is all business and poker during normal times (there's not much more to his life beyond those two things that I'm aware of), and he tells Facebook stories about confronting people in public for not wearing masks or keeping their distance...I responded to one of those stories with the comment 'I'd rather be fatalistic than sanctimonious'. That comment got no response from him, as it's very likely that he didn't know the meaning of at least one of those words, but then when I responded to some 'Dr Shiva' anti-vaccine video he posted, I (drunkenly) Facebook-confronted him on his inconsistency (militantly pro-mask, yet anti-vax?), and...that was the end of our brief and beautiful Facebook friendship.
The thing that got me thinking about this, is that I just read about a list of social-distancing "snitches" was published in a list for the community to see. I guess these people got upset to see their name published, even though it was from public record.
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