I don’t want to hear about that crazy feminist. I don’t want to argue with that outrageously offensive Christian. I don’t want to look at that awful blog post, and I don’t want to read that hate speech.
The Viking has been telling me for the past year or so about all these insane things done in the name of feminism. I believe he’s trying to incite me to act, to react, to write or do something about it, do something to stop these people ruining the good name of feminism. But when I hear about feminists saying things like “all men should be castrated” or “all penetrative sex is rape”, it doesn’t encourage me to do anything but roll my eyes.
And here’s why: I don’t want to give any more air time to these people.
The only way to stop bad behaviour designed to get attention is to stop buying into it.
How many of us clicked on the naked photos that were leaked in The Fappening? I didn’t. I would like to say I wasn’t even tempted, but that’s a lie – I was. Jennifer Lawrence naked? Yes please!
But I thought about what it would feel like to be her in that situation. How mortifying. So I resisted. I may only be one person or one pair of eyes, but I’m one less. One less click.
The only way to prevent people posting horrible things on the internet is to not click on it. And the only way to stop people posting their extravagant views is not to give them the eyeballs they want. If you run a website and your stats rise, you don’t know if that’s agreement or disagreement. People who think this way also think other people agree with them so reading, even if you’re quietly seething, only serves to further reinforce this idea.
One of the most powerful things we can do is to stop giving our attention to those who don’t deserve it.
So when I hear about feminists writing stupid shit online in the name of a cause I believe in, instead of getting angry and reacting, I just don’t look. I just don’t read. In this new internet age it’s time for us to vote with our mouse clicks.
Just don’t click.
Do you get angry at extremists? What never fails to rile you up?
