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Being hounded off social media

12 replies

chomalungma · 24/02/2020 21:22

So another celebrity has quit social media. They don't like what happens when they get lots of notifications and tweets from people who disagree with what they say and tell them this on Twitter and other social networks.

This happens on all sides of all debates. People are happy to express an opinion on social media - and then there can be a pile on from people who disagree with them. It has happened to me before - I was very surprised at how many notifications I got.

Activists can get targeted. Activists on all sides of a debate.

It's a really hard one. There are plenty of people who express an opinion and who use their platform to amplify that opinion. Often these people have lots of followers.

Should they be ignored? Should they be replied to? Should they be retweeted to your followers - and inviting a pile on.

I can totally see how someone would hate a pile on. OTOH - should some opinions be ignored - or should they be debated?

I've seen pile ons. I have seen users get a whole lot of replies from people who disagree with them. I've also seen some controversial opinions be debated.

I've also had to block several people because of the comments I have had on my Twitter feed from some people.

Social media and pile ons are a minefield.

What do people think? Especially twitter users...

OP posts:
ArriettyJones · 24/02/2020 22:07

Who are you talking about m? Which celebrity?

chomalungma · 24/02/2020 22:10

Which celebrity

It shouldn't really matter - I have deliberately left this open.

Ironically - people who are upset about the fact that this person has left because they support their views are very often the kind of people who would pile on someone whose views they don't support.

OP posts:
ArriettyJones · 24/02/2020 22:16

It shouldn't really matter - I have deliberately left this open.

Confused

How are we supposed to understand what you’re talking about then?

Ironically - people who are upset about the fact that this person has left because they support their views are very often the kind of people who would pile on someone whose views they don't support

This reads like a riddle.

renegadeoffunk · 24/02/2020 22:18

Are you talking about Laurence Fox?

ColaFreezePop · 24/02/2020 22:22

A person with the lastname "Fox" who said someone was racist for calling him a white privileged male as it wasn't his fault that he was white, privileged and male. (or something similar).

If you are famous (or infamous) and use social media then unfortunately you should expect to be targeted by people who don't agree with you.

Most people who are targeted in that fashion aren't white privileged males. Though to be fair they can cope with it better due to having it in other spheres in their lives - just ask the likes of Mary Beard or Diane Abbott.

ArriettyJones · 24/02/2020 22:24

Oh I see. Him.

chomalungma · 24/02/2020 22:27

How are we supposed to understand what you’re talking about then

People from all sides of a debate are hounded off Twitter.

This reads like a riddle

There are plenty of people who support Fox and are upset that he has been hounded off Twitter. They are often the same kind of people who go on to other people's twitter feeds and hound them off Twitter.

OP posts:
Russellbrandshair · 24/02/2020 22:29

Oh Laurence fox? He’s a known racist. No loss there. Some of his comments have been appalling.

ArriettyJones · 24/02/2020 22:32

It’s the nature of twitter. Especially for people who are very provocative in their tweeting.

None of the world’s problems will ever be solved on Twitter. I do understand that free speech is important but I’m not sure LF was trying to achieve anything that benefits anyone much, and if he does have something constructive to say he should probably try to explain it better somewhere else (not holding my breath).

goldenorbspider · 24/02/2020 22:33

Live by the sword die by the sword. He's gone out of his way to make antagonistic comments for attention. Now he has it

Bluntness100 · 24/02/2020 22:43

If you put to out there you need to be able to take it. Clearly abusive trolling should be stopped, but disagreeements, that’s ok.

I have had a taste of it. I posted a comment on someone famous insta page when they were in the news. It was politely phrased but questioning something, it became the most popular comment.

I then got literally thousands of responses. My phone was going mad.

Some disagreed with me, most agreed, then they all started arguing with each other, then a couple of people tried to abuse me, one, for some bizarre reason said I wouldn’t have asked that question if I was a mother (I am) and likely I couldn’t even have kids, it was totally unrelated to children or parenting what I had posted.

Others then piled on that person and attacked them for trolling, pointing out the pain that could cause a woman based on her circumstances.

Another posted I should just go back to spending my time putting my “fucking make up on” again odd, I do wear make up at times, but genuinely not a lot, and my profile pic is very natural. Other people then attacked that poster.

I then had a huge amount of men try to private message and follow me. Telling me they would like to Get to know me better. And selling themselves in a romantic way, everything from young army guys, to one successful male model, through to some really, really elderly blokes. I also had one very famous tv personality, with the blue tick so genuine, follow me and privately message me, hi there.

I didn’t respond to anyone, blocked the men, inc the famous one, and one poster kept posting “why won’t you respond, please respond” repeatedly.

It was honestly very strange, my daughter found it hysterical, when I hit four figures, she said “this is why you don’t comment on insta mum”. I just basically waited for it to stop. It took a day.

The thing is I dealt with it, with nothing more than bemusement and a raised eye brow, celebs should do the same, or not put it put there.

longwayoff · 24/02/2020 22:53

Fox is no loss. If you wish to publicise irrational uninformed bigotry on your social media it cannot come as a surprise when people object to it. It's just the cyber equivalent of fishwives gossiping over the garden fence, though, if you take it personally you shouldn't be there.

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