Posts promoting anti vaccination, climate change denial, immigration conjecture, stereotyping people with autism etc… (examples based on the last couple of weeks posts) may harm the perception of the site as a whole as well as the relationships of its members.
I’m not trying to dispute anyone’s views. I just feel social media platforms are the appropriate places for polarising debates and niche hobby forums like ours should strive to stay out of things like politics and religion etc…
Just my two cents.
I don't think it's quite that straightforward. Those are absolute opinions on subjects that are not black and white. I don't think anyone here is anti-vaccination, nor denying climate change.
And from what I remember, no one stereotyped neurally divergent folk, at least not in an intentionally cruel way. Not sure what the etc is for. What else is there that specifically upsets you?
I think, most polarisation comes from folk with well established and strongly held beliefs. I think certain social media platforms haven't helped, they've become
echo chambers. It's easy to connect with others that share similar opinions, and avoid those who don't.
It's part of a phenomenon called the "
filter bubble" effect. Consequently it can become increasingly difficult for some folk to understand and empathize with those that hold different views, which can lead to polarization.
The universe is not black and white, it is various shades of grey, and I'm not talking about the recent weather. It's also very fluid, changes rapidly and is shrinking. As the world gets smaller there seems to be an increasing list of things that divide us, It's almost as though folk have been deliberately set against one another.
All of it sensationalised, communicated in divisive. inflammatory, and often defamatory language, and nearly always absolute. It's very sad because we all of us have so much in common on a fundamental level, which is just as well because we are all we have.
I don't think there is any harm indulging in contentious "off topic" conversations, so long as folk understand that's all they are. There really is no need to get upset so long as folk are being polite and respectful and not calling each other names.
If it gets to the point where that becomes difficult to do maybe it's time to take a step back and consider why that is. Rather than displacing those feeling on others in an attempt to control the narrative to suit certain sensibilities. And alter the way a forum is run to create yet another echo chamber, and enhance the filter bubble effect.
