Whataboutism

Over the course of two months, we went from something smart that would demand a listener's attention in a way that was challenging and new to something that sounded like every other thing: some dude talking to some other dude about apps that some third dude would half-listen-to at 2x speed while texting a fourth dude about plans for later.

In reality, though, with the exception of those who are slut-shaming Carpenter for blatantly misogynistic reasons, it is possible to have a nuanced debate on this topic. Social media encourages us to oversimplify issues—and express our angriest feelings—for engagement purposes, but there are legitimate views on different sides here, because no... See more

People speculate on ideas, personalities, etc. Why wouldn’t they? But when this happens, you end up with a system optimized for speed and virality rather than stability or accuracy.

Welcome to 'What's the point?' syndrome: a collective exhaustion, a cross-generational yawning nihilism in the face of what feels like an insurmountable barrage of bad news. 

Yet, instead of just avoiding the 24-hour traumatic news cycle, some people are affixing this nihilism to their world view entirely; there is a sense of not caring about our futures, careers, or anything in general. This mindset is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger generations.

The lack of nuance between the two main camps—“yas kween!” and “stone her to death!”—was dispiriting. It reveals a worrying decline in media literacy in which social media encourages a flattened view, where moral righteousness and absolutism are projected onto complicated issues. If the purpose of art is to spark debate, Carpenter has certainly... See more

If you want to follow me, you can find me on the devil’s playground (Instagram) at firesignemoji. Before signing off, I just want to say: everyone should do a little more critical thinking. Like, generally think before you speak.

If you don’t know something— look it up, read about t, ask somebody, damn! Knowledge is power and there will be no Canva... See more