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.

  • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
    7·
    11 months ago

    I’d say if you are politically engaged, the likelihood of you being in a political internet community is fairly high.

    To complain about political content is, at best, a very privileged take, demonstrating that you are in a position where politics do not affect you much.

    Could just be that they don’t care for politics in that community. Time and place for everything and it seems some feel the time and place for politics is everywhere all the time. It can be tiring. I don’t remember what year it was that pretty much every single place was talking about immigration politics. Important topic for sure but a meme community about funny road signs isn’t the place for heated soapboxing about closing down the border.

    • KichaeEnglish
      8·
      11 months ago

      The thing is, what a politically engaged person thinks of as “politics” and what a disengaged one does probably has limited overlap. People probably aren’t bringing the Tories or the Republicans up in a D&D community, but bring up race portrayal or representation for disabled people and watch the sparks fly.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
        22·
        11 months ago

        People probably aren’t bringing the Tories or the Republicans up in a D&D community, but bring up race portrayal or representation for disabled people and watch the sparks fly.

        I wouldn’t bring up either up during a game. Unless I was prepared for some serious eye rolls and not being invited again lol.

        And unfortunately people do bring up the former during all kinds of shit. Politic brains are wild.

        • lolcatnip@reddthat.comEnglish
          5·
          11 months ago

          People in a D&D subreddit aren’t playing D&D; they’re talking about playing D&D. Those are completely valid topics to bring up.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
            11·
            11 months ago

            Depends on the commynity. Some just don’t want politics being brought into them. If it’s allowed/not forbidden then by all means.