Member-only story
Here’s How Not to Write a Diss Online
Take a rap battle as an example — are you channeling anger the wrong way?
When I think of bullies, I think of wounded children who don’t know any better. I think of high school. I think of Regina George and keyboard warriors.
But many people nowadays who write impassioned passages of vitriol online are old enough to know better.
Sure, we’re not rays of sunshine. We have pet peeves, and the occasional rant is justified. Sometimes we get uprooted from our happy place, get jostled a bit, and go through bouts of screw this world mentality. Often I prefer a dog’s presence to humans.
It’s impossible to like everyone — but hate is optional.
Still, these bad vibes. They’re everywhere. All the world’s a stage, and the internet has become a digital Burn Book like a laser tag match you never asked to be part of. I’m tired of people using the world wide web as a megaphone for spreading toxicity. It has become easy when screens put a barrier to receiving social cues. That means you can say whatever you want and type away at thoughts you probably wouldn’t dare say to a person’s crumpling face.
What’s the point? It isn’t high school anymore, and there are better things to do. I avoid drama. But sometimes, I’m caught…
