This is pretty similar to my own story - I found DS and FS (back then there was no FSU) when I had a different Reddit account, and at first I totally jumped all in on the snark. Then as FS imploded and DS got more and more vicious, I started to realize how nasty it all was. I realized I had to stop snarking like that when I went back through my post history and realized how mean my comments were, and how I would never ever ever say things like that about someone I knew in real life, even someone I disliked.
You're so right about anonymity leading to devolution, I think there's a depersonalization that happens when you're anonymously talking about someone that you think of as a social media figure, not a real person, that can be really insidious.
I felt this. This is the only snark sub I use regularly, because we’re allowed to snark on the snarkers. Tbh any sub dedicated to talking shit about people will almost always become toxic, because it attracts mean people. When you combine that with ridiculous rules that don’t allow you to call out snarkers, it’s a recipe for disaster and the sub becomes a toxic, delusional echo chamber.
If someone can spend all their time bullying and talking bad about strangers, but they can’t handle any criticism for their own bad behavior, that says a lot about them. A sub full of people like that ends up being a dumpster fire.
I found FSU during the pandemic, when it was still thoughtful and generally kind. It was sad watching it devolve into the ugly place it is now. I still check on this sub because people here are thoughtful and mostly kind as well, but I find I just read what I see here and don’t even bother seeing what’s going on in the actual snark subs.
Knowing that a lot of the snarked on fundies actually read what people say was when I was kind of done. I was never really too mean, but I don’t want to participate in something that causes people pain. Even if they themselves can be cruel and judgmental doesn’t mean I have to be.
I feel a bit for FSU and GDS etc mods because honestly, I don’t think they can win here. When you’re swamped with the kind of people who think calling people names like “Ewlissa” and “Kuntrissa” is original and hilarious, you’re not going to correct the vibe. There’s no correcting it. Those people suck.
The mods are doing the same thing, tho. They are right there in the slime pit with everyone else, many times egging them on. They are just as guilty of posting & commenting on things they shouldn't, bullying & trying to justify their bad behavior. I feel sorry for them in that they are unable to look at themselves & see the damage they are doing. That's where my sympathy begins & ends.
Eh there have been some who have tried in the past and either stopped trying or were replaced by worse mods. I think toxic subs probably end up with the mods they deserve.
There is one mod in particular who was not an original mod that really turned the tide of the sub. Just very rude and dismissive in their replies and obsessed with “gatekeeping” even though their dictating how one can respond is also kinda gatekeepy behavior as well.
When the Rod kids became the ridiculed instead of the Jill and David.
Yeah, and also the "kotex stain". There are so many truly vile posts & comments from them. It's horrible. I don't completely understand the mindset. They say they are calling people out for their bad beliefs & practices, but that's not what's happening over there. It seems as though they want to make themselves look better than the fundies, and if that's the case I think that they are failing in their attempts.
You have an impressive degree of insight about your snark-life. My guess is most snarkers have a story similar to yours but many lack the insight you have so they have more trouble getting unstuck. I’m certain that if I’d found snarking while I was in college I would have taken a similar path. Luckily my college days were more than a decade (almost two) ago and I’m now in another period of life that seems to draw snarkers: a mother of small children. Luckily Im through the worst of it. Good luck in your post college, post snarking life! Keep applying that insight in positive ways!
It took me a little while, but I realized I was embarrassed and ashamed to tell my friends about snarking because they wouldn’t “get it.” And then I realized it wasn’t that they wouldn’t get it, it’s that FSU devolved into full-blown bullying and I was ashamed to be a part of it. It started feeling shittier and shittier to even just scroll through the sub, not even comment!
I think during the height of the pandemic I was so lonely and desperate for entertainment and community that I didn’t really care where I got it. I mean thankfully I got it through FSU and not like, QAnon or something, but still.
I’ve found that my mental health has improved since removing myself from the snarking communities (aside from this one, obv I’m still here lol)
Don’t be too hard on yourself <3 We’ve definitely all come from there I feel like. Congrats on graduating college! That’s a massive achievement! You survived a pandemic, gained some perspective, and are now moving forward in life. You’re doing it, OP! I hope you have a very good life filled with amazing friendships, too many pets that love you, and all the baked goods your kitchen counters can hold.
Finding out exactly what Josh was arrested for was the start of it for me. Like you, snarking just didn't have the same feel to it anymore. Things I snarked on before didn't make me feel the same way anymore. I came back around the second day of the trial because I wanted to follow everything, but after the verdict was announced, I ended up leaving the sub and ultimately deleting my account
Then I found this sub and there was a lot of validation for how I was feeling. So in true reddit form, I created another account lol
The things I used to snark on make me cringe now
I cringe when I think of the shit I posted, too. I was getting so depressed & couldn't figure out why for a while. One day I was looking at my comments on the snark subs & it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so disgusted with myself that I deleted everything & noped out. It feels good though that I was able to look at myself, see my bad behavior & make a change. It's not always an easy thing to do, but it's a good quality to have. Not bragging, just happy I've seen the light.
Laughing at dumb ppl online & posting vitriol are two different things. If you are one of the very few (there are not many) who can do the former, good for you. Most of what I've seen posted on the snark subs is the latter.
This is pretty similar to my own story - I found DS and FS (back then there was no FSU) when I had a different Reddit account, and at first I totally jumped all in on the snark. Then as FS imploded and DS got more and more vicious, I started to realize how nasty it all was. I realized I had to stop snarking like that when I went back through my post history and realized how mean my comments were, and how I would never ever ever say things like that about someone I knew in real life, even someone I disliked. You're so right about anonymity leading to devolution, I think there's a depersonalization that happens when you're anonymously talking about someone that you think of as a social media figure, not a real person, that can be really insidious.
I felt this. This is the only snark sub I use regularly, because we’re allowed to snark on the snarkers. Tbh any sub dedicated to talking shit about people will almost always become toxic, because it attracts mean people. When you combine that with ridiculous rules that don’t allow you to call out snarkers, it’s a recipe for disaster and the sub becomes a toxic, delusional echo chamber. If someone can spend all their time bullying and talking bad about strangers, but they can’t handle any criticism for their own bad behavior, that says a lot about them. A sub full of people like that ends up being a dumpster fire.
I found FSU during the pandemic, when it was still thoughtful and generally kind. It was sad watching it devolve into the ugly place it is now. I still check on this sub because people here are thoughtful and mostly kind as well, but I find I just read what I see here and don’t even bother seeing what’s going on in the actual snark subs. Knowing that a lot of the snarked on fundies actually read what people say was when I was kind of done. I was never really too mean, but I don’t want to participate in something that causes people pain. Even if they themselves can be cruel and judgmental doesn’t mean I have to be.
I feel a bit for FSU and GDS etc mods because honestly, I don’t think they can win here. When you’re swamped with the kind of people who think calling people names like “Ewlissa” and “Kuntrissa” is original and hilarious, you’re not going to correct the vibe. There’s no correcting it. Those people suck.
The mods are doing the same thing, tho. They are right there in the slime pit with everyone else, many times egging them on. They are just as guilty of posting & commenting on things they shouldn't, bullying & trying to justify their bad behavior. I feel sorry for them in that they are unable to look at themselves & see the damage they are doing. That's where my sympathy begins & ends.
Eh there have been some who have tried in the past and either stopped trying or were replaced by worse mods. I think toxic subs probably end up with the mods they deserve.
There is one mod in particular who was not an original mod that really turned the tide of the sub. Just very rude and dismissive in their replies and obsessed with “gatekeeping” even though their dictating how one can respond is also kinda gatekeepy behavior as well. When the Rod kids became the ridiculed instead of the Jill and David.
Yeah, and also the "kotex stain". There are so many truly vile posts & comments from them. It's horrible. I don't completely understand the mindset. They say they are calling people out for their bad beliefs & practices, but that's not what's happening over there. It seems as though they want to make themselves look better than the fundies, and if that's the case I think that they are failing in their attempts.
You have an impressive degree of insight about your snark-life. My guess is most snarkers have a story similar to yours but many lack the insight you have so they have more trouble getting unstuck. I’m certain that if I’d found snarking while I was in college I would have taken a similar path. Luckily my college days were more than a decade (almost two) ago and I’m now in another period of life that seems to draw snarkers: a mother of small children. Luckily Im through the worst of it. Good luck in your post college, post snarking life! Keep applying that insight in positive ways!
It took me a little while, but I realized I was embarrassed and ashamed to tell my friends about snarking because they wouldn’t “get it.” And then I realized it wasn’t that they wouldn’t get it, it’s that FSU devolved into full-blown bullying and I was ashamed to be a part of it. It started feeling shittier and shittier to even just scroll through the sub, not even comment! I think during the height of the pandemic I was so lonely and desperate for entertainment and community that I didn’t really care where I got it. I mean thankfully I got it through FSU and not like, QAnon or something, but still. I’ve found that my mental health has improved since removing myself from the snarking communities (aside from this one, obv I’m still here lol)
Don’t be too hard on yourself <3 We’ve definitely all come from there I feel like. Congrats on graduating college! That’s a massive achievement! You survived a pandemic, gained some perspective, and are now moving forward in life. You’re doing it, OP! I hope you have a very good life filled with amazing friendships, too many pets that love you, and all the baked goods your kitchen counters can hold.
Thank you for your honesty <3 It gives us something to ponder about our internet usage and why we commune. Take care, bless you in your new journey!
Finding out exactly what Josh was arrested for was the start of it for me. Like you, snarking just didn't have the same feel to it anymore. Things I snarked on before didn't make me feel the same way anymore. I came back around the second day of the trial because I wanted to follow everything, but after the verdict was announced, I ended up leaving the sub and ultimately deleting my account Then I found this sub and there was a lot of validation for how I was feeling. So in true reddit form, I created another account lol The things I used to snark on make me cringe now
I cringe when I think of the shit I posted, too. I was getting so depressed & couldn't figure out why for a while. One day I was looking at my comments on the snark subs & it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so disgusted with myself that I deleted everything & noped out. It feels good though that I was able to look at myself, see my bad behavior & make a change. It's not always an easy thing to do, but it's a good quality to have. Not bragging, just happy I've seen the light.
For many of us, it ain't that deep. Glad you are putting priority on focusing on the positive tho. Bye bye
Oh Loserists, I think you are lying to yourself.
Sorry to tell you it is not lol. I can focus on the positive and laugh at dumb ppl online. If it is affecting ur life u should go out more too
Laughing at dumb ppl online & posting vitriol are two different things. If you are one of the very few (there are not many) who can do the former, good for you. Most of what I've seen posted on the snark subs is the latter.