A new study links partisan activity on the Internet to widespread online toxicity, revealing that politically-engaged users exhibit uncivil behavior even in non-political discussions. The findings are based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users.

Politically-engaged Redditors tend to be more toxic – even in non-political subreddits::A new study links partisan activity on the Internet to widespread online toxicity, revealing that politically-engaged users exhibit uncivil behavior even in non-political discussions. The findings are based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users.

    • Boozilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
      94·
      11 months ago

      Not wanting to discuss politics 24x7 in all contexts and settings is not “apathy”. I vote. I participate. I donate money. I discuss politics at appropriate times and places.

      Wanting to dominate all conversations with your political opinion is pathological.

      • work is slow@lemmy.worldEnglish
        42·
        11 months ago

        It was meant to be a self depreciating joke, but now I can’t help myself. I think this topic ends up having everybody involved make a bunch of assumptions about each other before it begins.

        However, I have experienced people say that they, “don’t want to get political,” right after being confronted for saying something misinformed, hurtful, etc. It can be weaponized as an excuse to avoid self reflection.

        I know that isn’t the case for everybody, but I have seen, “don’t make things political,” used as, “don’t bring in politics at odds with my own.” It’s often not even recognized by that person as being hypocritical. Sometimes our own politics can become the default in our mind and everybody else’s view is the “political” one.

        • Boozilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          11 months ago

          Apologies for missing the joke. And I agree that it can be a dodge in some contexts, too. Also agree that the word can be used incorrectly.

          People who use “political” incorrectly like that remind me of the old South Park depiction of Michael Jackson, calling everything “ignorant”.