Pull Up the Roots
I have a good time when I go out of my mind..
This has become a trend across different spaces, especially gaming, where these right-wing talking points are mixed in under a progressive guise. Popular influencers from gaming, to comics, to movies, and so on, have been blending entertainment with divisive ideas (through things like hate watching and "anti" content), making these regressive viewpoints seem rebellious or anti-establishment.
Social media algorithms are also responsible for amplifying sensational and edgy content that gives these voices even more reach, especially among young people exploring their identities and beliefs. It's like a digital indoctrination. I personally make a conscious effort to avoid all of this, but still get recommendation from the likes of Ben Shapiro, Rogan, Peterson, and so on. It's inescapable. It's insidious. It's perfect, because the appeal of anti-establishment rhetoric resonates with Gen Z. They interpret these right-wing talking points as challenges to the "woke" establishment they've been groomed to hate.
All that meme culture and dark humor shyt blurs the line between satire and sincerity, making these extreme ideas easier to digest or even laugh off. It obligates a person's sense of what's right, wrong or even true. Everything is now a joke. And nothing is serious. The gaming industry after that gamergate shyt, led to a strong sense of identity in these typs, which has given birth to a toxic form of gatekeeping, where diverse and inclusive changes feel like unwelcome intrusions. Online gaming communities with no moderation allow extremist views to spread, and the male-dominated nature of these spaces gives hyper-masculine "alpha" narratives even more traction. The move from moderated bulliten boards and forums to platforms like Discord and other decentralized platforms have been a great help in spreading this message.
You can't forget the red-pill shyt either. The packaging of divisive ideas as hidden truths has lead to the creation of an atmosphere where right-wing perspectives thrive, seemingly in the name of "authentic" fandom and critical thinking, and that is effecting everyone regardless of generation. I don't know how we're going to deal with this.
