Inhuman communication: Søren Kierkegaard versus the internet

 
“The story is, by now, a familiar one: some person ― whether a celebrity or a relative unknown ― says something racist, misogynistic, or just plain stupid online. We see it, we're angry, we tell them so. Within hours, they've received thousands of replies, ranging from the politely critical to the clearly abusive. The perpetrator then either lashes out defiantly, issues an apology (whether sincere or not) or simply withdraws from the social media space altogether. This is what's called a ‘pile-on.’ Now, you might be one of those people who thinks the ‘victim’ of a pile-on had it coming. Speaking and writing are, after all, actions, and actions have consequences; free speech doesn't mean freedom from being called out. ...”

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