That’s fair, but I think it comes down to what the actual power dynamics of the space is. If you’re in a group that’s systemically discriminated against, just ignoring it means putting up with discrimination. Not getting good jobs, getting harassed by police, etc. you have to actively fight back against that.
Some dipshit online complaining about seeing a black person in a movie? They only have power proportionate to the attention they get. Let them scream into the void. If they get a comment, it validates what they were saying and gives them another opportunity to respond with even more bullshit that they know will have an engaged audience. If they get nothing, what are they gonna do? Reply to themselves? Keep making posts that get no attention? At some point they’ll just get bored or demotivated. If they do keep being a nuisance you block and/or ban them silently. EDIT: Oh, also, besides the personal validation, there is the algorithmic aspect to consider. Algorithms direct people to things that will hold their attention and get more engagement. The more you talk to these people the more people will get them shoved in their faces.
People talk about not platforming these people, well, every comment interaction they get is a new tiny stage for them to stand on.
That’s fair, but I think it comes down to what the actual power dynamics of the space is. If you’re in a group that’s systemically discriminated against, just ignoring it means putting up with discrimination. Not getting good jobs, getting harassed by police, etc. you have to actively fight back against that.
Some dipshit online complaining about seeing a black person in a movie? They only have power proportionate to the attention they get. Let them scream into the void. If they get a comment, it validates what they were saying and gives them another opportunity to respond with even more bullshit that they know will have an engaged audience. If they get nothing, what are they gonna do? Reply to themselves? Keep making posts that get no attention? At some point they’ll just get bored or demotivated. If they do keep being a nuisance you block and/or ban them silently. EDIT: Oh, also, besides the personal validation, there is the algorithmic aspect to consider. Algorithms direct people to things that will hold their attention and get more engagement. The more you talk to these people the more people will get them shoved in their faces.
People talk about not platforming these people, well, every comment interaction they get is a new tiny stage for them to stand on.