Don’t blame it on the internet, prick!

In herzzereißenden, wütenden, beschämenden, in jedem Falle emotionalen Diskussionen wird gern einmal das Argument gebracht: „Och, nimm’s nicht so ernst. Ist doch nur das Internet. Oder Twitter. Oder Facebook. Oder Dings.“

Das Internet als Entschuldigung für jegliche Unüberlegtheit und all die verbalen Entgleisungen, im Internet darf ich alles sagen, was ich denke, denn im Internet mein‘ ich’s nicht so! Alles nur Spaß. Süß! <3

Ihr schnuffeligen kleinen Heuchler, hier ist eure Antwort:

Ah yes, never forget this little gem! You see, the internet isn’t „real life“ and therefore nothing that happens on the internet could ever have an actual impact on real people.

OH no, anything that happens on the internet is, by virtue of simply happening on the internet:

„A Joke!“

Never mind that real people are really behind the really real words they’re typing „on the Internet“ and that those words actually do reflect real world opinions, beliefs, prejudices and discriminations that really do affect really real people from Marginalised Groups™ and they already have to deal with that stuff on a daily basis – so what! It’s „the Internet“. Nothing is „real“ on „the Internet“. You can simply say to them: If you take anything on „the Internet“ to heart, you’re taking it „too seriously“ and probably just need to log off for awhile…

… and go out into the „real world“ where they will… experience the exact same type of discrimination and prejudice.

You see, this tactic conveniently ignores that there is no genuine respite for Marginalised People™ when it comes to encountering bigotry characteristic to their group, not even through a supposed entertainment medium, like „the Internet“.

Since nothing on „the Internet“ happens face to face, you as a Privileged Person® can easily persuade yourself nothing that happens on „the Internet“ really matters. You can then communicate your contempt for the Marginalised Person™’s experience by dismissing and trivialising any hurtful or outright hateful things either you or other Privileged People® have said, simply because it was on „the Internet“ and since they can’t see you and you can’t see them, how can they even prove the words even mean anything, nyah nyah neh nyah nyah!

Using this tactic, you’re also subtly characterising ‚the Internet“ as an autonomous being – it’s not people being offensive, it’s „the Internet“, thus allowing you to further shirk responsibility.

Überhaupt ist Derailing for Dummies (ich erwähnte es schon mal vor einer Weile) die großartigste Erfindung seit Diskussionstotalverdummung. Bitte weitergeben und auswendig lernen!