I agree with you, but it’s not even for-profit spaces that are an issue.
The ability to interact with so many people–in near total anonymity, and who you are virtually certain to never meet again–significantly lowers the barrier for acting uncivilly. And likewise the facelessness of other people means that it’s so much easier to mistakenly interpret their actions as hostile.
Think of that jerk who totally cut you off yesterday, versus you who just needed to squeeze in between two cars to make your exit. Or how much less likely you’d be to react negatively to your neighbor driving slow in the left lane versus a total stranger.
Our ape brains and thousands of years of human evolution give us the instinct to treat strangers outside our “tribe” with suspicion and interpret their neutral actions as hostile.
Sure those instincts can be exploited for profit and exacerbate them, but I disagree it’s the root cause or the reason hostility seems to be on the rise.
Don’t let for-profit-companies control social interactions, be that Meta or your local mall.
Go into local politics and push for community spaces that are for people, not for profit.
Yeah. There needs to be a stronger push for communities.
I agree with you, but it’s not even for-profit spaces that are an issue.
The ability to interact with so many people–in near total anonymity, and who you are virtually certain to never meet again–significantly lowers the barrier for acting uncivilly. And likewise the facelessness of other people means that it’s so much easier to mistakenly interpret their actions as hostile.
Think of that jerk who totally cut you off yesterday, versus you who just needed to squeeze in between two cars to make your exit. Or how much less likely you’d be to react negatively to your neighbor driving slow in the left lane versus a total stranger.
Our ape brains and thousands of years of human evolution give us the instinct to treat strangers outside our “tribe” with suspicion and interpret their neutral actions as hostile.
Sure those instincts can be exploited for profit and exacerbate them, but I disagree it’s the root cause or the reason hostility seems to be on the rise.