This Mom Explains How Memes And Social Media Can Turn Young Boys Into Racists
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Social media and its effects on teenagers have been on the radar for quite some time now. Older generations have been constantly looking for new ways to blame the Internet culture whenever they see a new atrocity committed by young people. Recently, video games were subjected to scrutiny for allegedly causing violence in society. While many laughed at this belief system, the discussions on how the uses of social media affect us all continues.
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Recently, writer Joanna Schroeder started yet another topic questioning the effects of social media. She took to Twitter to share something alarming she noticed coming from her sons’ Internet activity. The concerned mother says that alt-right, racism, and white supremacy groups are actively grooming young boys to join them using vlogs and memes. Is it just another baby boomer incapable of understanding the internet culture or does she have a point? Read her explanation below.
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Schroeder’s arguments were compelling enough for many other parents and some teenagers too, as a lot of them sided with her opinion. However, some stepped forward to voice their disagreement. Which side are you on? Are we being groomined for systematic racism or is it jsut another fad? Tell us your opinion in the comments.
Many people sided with Schroeder’s opinion
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However, not everyone agreed with with her point of view
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It is happening. But not only to white boys, it is happening to youth of all races, colors, shades, religions, etc. And is polarizing our world.
Is it though? There is a global fascist movement in the West that's fueled in part by memes and 'humor'. Other extremists, like radical Islam, employ other modes of recruiting, like chat rooms.
Absolutely. I commend the mother for not wanting her son to be a racist bigot but propaganda goes both ways. It seems as though she wants to indoctrinate him with her beliefs and not wanting him to see both sides of the coin. The majority of mainstream media already pushes a certain agenda so he should be taught to think critically of it all.
Its all you stupid boomers that think that's what's happening. Have you ever just taken a step back and realized that it's all in you head? Most people just want to have a good time. Sure there are some like that, but there are people like that in every group
Sure there are some boomers like that, but there are people like that in every group. You played yourself
"And is polarizing our world." BWAHAHAHAHAH! Go pound sand you twit.
Jonathan Haidt, a progressive liberal Jewish academic with a Ph.D in Pscyhology, has critiqued the concept of people being 'triggered' and having trigger warnings. He said it's not taken seriously by the psychologists with the deepest expertise in addressing trauma. I say this all as a socially liberal, straight ally who has marched in Pride parades, dislikes the POTUS and votes Democratic: there really is a problem of speech intolerance among some on the far left. 'Get your hate speech off of this campus!' Getting physically violent over Ben Shapiro saying ideas. Literally throwing a milkshake at a GOP Member of Congress (https://bit.ly/2z0Eovf). That's why the right are calling them snowflakes, b/c some on the left really are unwilling to even be in the presence of ideas they disagree with. Anyone on the left or center left needs to call it out and rid the left of it, marginalize it, not tolerate their intolerance.
Regarding Ben Shapiro, I had heard that had been banned from speaking at some campus due to some protests, and I heard that people on the right were talking about liberal colleges, etc. I just assumed that these speakers were really, really hateful people like KKK members. So, my son showed me a speech by Ben Shapiro at a campus. He said one controversial thing, and the college ended his speech, shut him down. I was dumbfounded. I don't agree with pretty much anything the guy says, but he wasn't saying anything that should cause that reaction. I think he said many people who are poor are poor due to bad decisions. I think it is largely wrong or at least far more complicated than that, but I wanted to hear his points. No need to kick him out. If nothing else, he challenges a person to think how to defend their own view, which is a very good mental exercise. (FYI, I'm quite progressive, as is my son. Sanders and Jill Stein voters.)
Yeah, it's both sad and amazing that some (I know, not all) of the far left younger Milennials are so unable to even be near someone saying something they strongly disagree w/. I recently heard a group of younger Millennials talking about how awful it was for some group of conservatives to have a rally. I pointed out to them this same thing: 'I'm a socially-liberal, D-voting-center-left guy myself, BUT those right wing people have a right to say things.' - The younger Millennials were looking at me like this was something they'd never considered before, as though it were a new concept to them that the 1st Am. applies to anyone not on the left. Then again, they may have heard a Dem no less prominent than Howard Dean say: 'The First Amendment doesn't protect hate speech.' (His exact words). Wrong Howard, SCOTUS specifically has ruled that it does, several times. It's high time we re-educate some of our own political allies.
If the GOP has it's way all your problems are solved within a few months: Civil liberties groups are warning of a major threat to online freedoms and First Amendment rights if a leaked draft of a Trump administration edict—dubbed by critics as a “Censor the Internet” executive order that would give powerful federal agencies far-reaching powers to pick and choose which kind of Internet material is and is not acceptable—is allowed to go into effect. Which means that from that moment only the racist, sexist propaganda from Trump and the GOP can be published.
It is proven that laws and constitution don't mean a thing to Trump and if he can find ways to restrict free speech or divide the Americans even more, he will surely use them.
For free speech concerns, Trump also said in Dec. '16 that he would 'deport anyone who burns the American flag.' This despite the SCOTUS ruling in Texas v. Johnson that burning the flag is protected political speech under 1st Am. Pretty chilling that he said that. But in '05 Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer (and many other Ds and Rs on the Hill) sponsored a bill that would've made burning the American flag a felony w/ a 1 year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. Thank goodness that bill was shot down by sensible people in Congress, patriots who recognize how central the tolerance of dissent is to American patriotism. How sad and shameful that so many in both parties are so ready to endanger our civil liberties as soon as someone says something controversial. We have to remember Voltaire's ideal: 'I disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.'
I hear the currently deceased 8chan and the still going 4chan are a haven for saying any bullshit you like and being encouraged in it. Never been on those, but 9gag is bad enough. The racism and mysogyny is shocking and very few people ever get criticised for it. I'm not a signed up user to it, so am not in a position to do so and feel I would be wasting my breath if I did. Maybe if all the reasonable people on Bored Panda bombarded the users of other sites with our common sense, we might get somewhere. Remove the approval, but don't replace it with shame. Replace it with reason.
9gag has gone really down the drain. It used to be funny in the beginning, but I stopped visiting after a while, because it started becoming quite hostile to women. I hadn't seen the site in a few years and when I visited out of curiosity a few weeks ago...yikes. There's nothing funny about the rampant misogyny and racism going on there.
"The racism and misogyny are shocking and very few people ever get criticized for it." Spot on. Feedback needed!
Parents need to be checking what their kids do online. And listening and talking to them about it. Picking a site "you heard is racist" and going on a deplatforming crusade is about showing off your virtue, while completely ignoring the problem. The problem which incidentally the op in this article has bullshitted into something totally out of proportion. KEEP YOUR EYE ON WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING. Watch their favourite youtubers with them. Take an interest in whatever sites they like. Its not the alt right that's the problem. Its the world.
I can see that this woman is trying to raise awareness of a real issue. I agree but do not fully agree, because not all memes are racist or sexist, so it is not like they are the bane of human existence. Also I do not see how "triggered" automatically means white supremesist when it is clearly a slang word that means annnoyed.
She doesn't accuse the whole meme culture. In fact, she's inviting other parents to help their kids filter out the harmful ones amongst memes. Because, whether we like it or not, memes are used as a tool for brainwashing as well, since they're short, humorous easy to understand, relatable, and easy to share. Sure, tons of memes out there are harmless, even cute sometimes, but as much are also subtly offensive, while another ton is straightforward offensive. The important part is to learn to differentiate between various kinds of contents, and that's exactly the point of this mother's analogy.
I only ever hear triggered used when someone thinks another person is overreacting. Her point being that, if someone is using "triggered" they're almost certainly complaining about someone disagreeing with them on something offensive. White supremacy was only one aspect that this woman was talking about. She also mentioned sexism, homophobia and anti-semitism. She has not said all memes are like that, but to watch out for those that are - the ones kids are drawn into when they find them among the harmless funny ones they originally went looking for. They go looking for a joke about Chuck Norris or raiding Area51 and are led down a darker path.
Being triggered is not about being annoyed, it's about being catapulted into what is often a very bad head space by someone's racist, sexist, or other offensive and frightening words or behavior. Or, if you're a veteran with combat experience, it's fireworks or a gunshot putting you right back in the very thick of your worst nightmares from service, or a sudden awakening making you lash out at the nearest person because, again, you're stuck in the very physical manifestation of your past bad experiences. It can be so intense that you are completely unaware of your present situation. This is not fun for anyone. It's no joke and can be very dangerous for the people around you, especially for those who have combat experience and lash out and hurt or kill their loved ones. https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/guide-to-triggering/
The word triggered used in a derogatory manner is almost solely the domain who sling around words like snowflake to describe someone. It goes with a general culture of insensitivity, rudeness, and far, far worse things. Usually a culture of misogyny, racism, and those who minimize the humanity of others to make themselves feel better. That culture is toxic, and using the word triggered is generally an indicator that they've been exposed to it and have, to some degree, been indoctrinated. No one thinks all memes are bad, but there does exist a kind of meme that is totally devoid of humanity, and unless you are heartless, aren't even funny.
I am flabbergasted that a person can read this, and think that the poster is declaring that "white men are bad". I grew up in a Christian household, my father a white Christian minister, Master of Divinity. I was taught that racism, sexism, violence and hatred, is _unChristian*_, and has no place in a developed society. (Because I grew up in a family that valued education, I was also taught that racism, hatred, sexism, and violence is against Jewish doctrine, Muslim doctrine, and are in all aspects unhealthy elements that must be addressed in society.)
But hey, if you think someone telling you "don't be a jerk!" means that you are being told that an entire group of people are by nature bad people, or the cause of all problems, you are clearly deflecting responsibility away from yourself. Be a grown-up, acknowledge that you have an obligation to treat people with dignity and respect. That is the American way. That is part of common humanity, for those of us who want to be a productive member of society. That is part of our faith, for those of us who identify as religious.
This isa bunch of liberal bullshit
agree man... hope you don't go down the liberal downvote drain
So happy this mom is not my mom. I'd rather be told to think for myself instead of being programmed to see everything as a racist danger.
If every person everywhere had more empathy, we'd live in a perfect world. I hope more parents would follow her example and teach their kids by explaining things instead of shaming and judging them. "Good begets good, while evil begets nothing but evil".
Yeah but you only agree with mom "teaching" because you agree with what she'll teach. If anybody else has a different opinion I bet you won't be as open to the concept. So many people are hypocrites because they teach empathy and tolerance...so long as it agrees with their exact views. The examples she cites are often virtue signallers and race baiters. You probably have the opposite opinion and that's just fine. I'm cool with your comment so long as you accept that there's more than one way to think.
If we're boiling politics down to left wing, right wing, and undecided, then I've seen plenty of people in all of those groups who have said "people are too sensitive" and "you can't say anything anymore". There's rarely any bigotry, from what I've personally seen, as it's usually about having their right to free speech maintained, instead of silenced. Ricky Gervais' latest show, After Life, has a joke in it where he responds to a little boy who calls his character a "paedo" by calling the kid a "tubby, ginger cunt". When this was available to the masses via Netflix, did people get upset because he called a little kid a "cunt"? No. They got upset because he called a ginger kid "ginger". How is that worse? I'm not suggesting we should say whatever we want, because words can incite violence, even to a small degree, but we shouldn't be shamed for speaking at all.
Also, if this woman's kid is being targeted by white supremacists, either he, or they, were seeking the other out for that very reason. You can't just log into Facebook or Twitter, and end up being bombarded with white supremacist propaganda out of nowhere, unless you're actively looking for it. That's not how the internet works. Starting on the Google homepage doesn't instantly take you to a porn site, visiting YouTube doesn't immediately open a video, and signing into Spotify doesn't automatically start your playlist. You have to be curious/interested enough in these things to go searching for them. And that means there's only one person to blame.
Take a look on 9gag, innocent enough, some funny stuff on there. Then read some of the comments. Look at all the screengrabs of women's butts and cleavages and references to "those kind of people" after videos of black people. Read enough of that BS at a young age, join in, get upvotes, feel validated. This stuff can twist a young mind quite easily. What this woman is saying is, know what your kids are getting into, call them on it and set them straight before it's too late. You don't have to go looking for the "starter pack". Then a young mind is easily lead astray by links to other things that might look interesting.
I agree with RaroaRaroa. I ended up at Bored Panda because I noticed that the comments section of my previous favorite website (The Chive) contained racists. A lot of the threads on Bored Panda and The Chive are the same, but every time there is a funny Twitter story featuring black people, The Chive comments are filled with people claiming to not be able to understand the “atrocious grammar” of the Twitter thread, when it’s really just American Black slang that is not hard to understand; they’re trying to be subtle not so subtle racist. It’s a shame because the people who run the Chive seem decent and do a lot of charity work, but I just couldn’t take it any more.
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No, this is not about politics or edgy humor. It's lessons in basic morality in a world where people are being executed by mass shooters who use the same language.
is it not a parents job to guide their children? im seeing quite a lot of comments assuming that just because this woman is showing her son how to decipher the media that may or may not be influencing him without his knowledge, makes her a monster. that she does not have the right to tell her son why someone may be offended if he shares this or says that. would you rather her have no interaction with her son? or tell him that if anyone disagrees with you, they are wrong, or snowflakes, or just cant handle the truth? to me she has done her role as a mother, who actually cares about her sons future, very well. he will grow and know that he is allowed his own opinion and that it should be an informed one at that and he will be aware of the people out there trying to take advantage of his lack of experience.
In third grade there was a group of boys who really like memes. They were the worst classmates, yet the funniest and I was their friend. They got into trouble, like, alot. They weren't racist, but some of their jokes were a little offensive.
I bet those guys were a ton of fun and didn't take the memes seriously. Learn to lighten up and don't take things too seriously.
She is so right. Never thought about it that way before.
...And this just shows why generation z is turning out more conservative and rejecting SJWs and the control-left. This is simply the new version of controlling parents saying that rock music is turning their kids into satanists.
Except that nobody died by apparent satantic panic. We just had three mass shootings in a week linked to extremist ideology.
This is what happens when instagram makes their own memes because they can't remove reddit watermarks.
This is honestly the stupidest thing I've ever read! And it's also not just boys. Just let kids be kids! Don't drag them into politics.
Yup. So thankful this women isn't my mom. It's not teaching, it's virtue signalling. If she was doing her job she'd teach the kid to think for himself as opposed to just blindly following mommy's lead.
but its not
Turning your boys into whipped weak beta males is pathetic.
Just keep on turning your kids into whipped beta males lol
Ok Boomers
"white boys", ever heard of several black/female trump fans?
I am a black female and I believe it comes down to what you are taught at home. I was raised in a home where having friends of all kinds of races, religions, and sexes was and is okay. How people interpret the world and view all other people starts with their parents. If parents are racially intolerant that might encourage their kids. However, once a person gets to be a certain age, they can make their own decisions about who they are around. So yes you should monitor your kids on the internet, but you should also be leading by example.
In my seventh grade I saw this happening. Some of the boys (and girls) were becoming racist bigots. I never realized the connection until now, now I remember, they're all the "dank meme" kids.
Hahahaha quick everyone, get your victim hats on!! Its an another alt right conspiracy! So the truth is - you need to keep your eye on what your children are doing and seeing online. The rest of it is all your own paranoid nonsense.
'Tell them you are always there not judging...Then don't judge!' - But Joanna you clearly are judging. We're all judging things all the time. Don't pull the classic liberal fallacy of suddenly claiming you're not passing moral judgments amidst a long series of arguments which can only be logically understood as an extensive series of judgments. (I say as a liberal whose made this mistake before myself). And also: 'Have them watch Trevor Noah, etc.' In other words: if your boys are watching comedians that share my liberal worldview than great! If the comedians challenge some of our liberal worldview they're racists with bad intentions.'
Some corners of the internet need a good Grandma and Grandpa to come in. Talk to these now-grown-up kids who went from obnoxious 12yos saying "poopy" on the internet to obnoxious, sometimes vile, people who have had no peer pressure to make them be moral people. They need Grandma and Grandpa to charge into the group, shake their finger, tell them to grow up, mind their manners, stop acting the fool, and what-would-your-mother-think?!
How do you crate radical white men you follow this womens ideas. If you ostracize men from the social group you create a resentful person. With social ostracize they just find a group that reinforce there anger. This leads to ether suicide or violence.
She lost me when she said its wrong to be offended by people not saying Merry Christmas. I'd happily say Eid Murbaraka to a Muslim friend, or Happy Hanukkah to someone who's Jewish. Not saying Merry Christmas just devalues the significance of Christians and of their religion
pleople have to understand that memes are jokes, dark jokes, sad jokes, cruel jokes..etc and the point is...dont take it too seriously
Yeah, it's always someone else's fault...
I disagree a little bit with the starting couple of tweets but she won me over by including John Mulaney in her recommended
Anyone who doesn't see this on both sides of the aisle is not paying attention.
Disgusting. No wonder your son is rejecting your socialist crap.
The irony is lost on them thinking that the right is "grooming" yet they are grooming then to be leftists.. why not just allow your kids to be their own person. To grow, learn, and think for themselves?
This woman sounds to me like she's simply trying to raise sons who are not sexist, racist or homophobic. If that is the definition of leftist to you, what would that make your definition of someone on the right? It sounds to me more like the definition of a decent human being.
She's raising her kid to always be on the lookout for racism and sexism etc. If you are a hammer, everything is a nail. Seek and ye shall definitely find (whether it's there or not). Shawn is downvoted for saying kids should be taught to grow, learn and think for themselves and makes me sad.
wish i could upvote this more cause i know the left wing downvotes are gonna come thick and fast (And I know the world is far more than "left" and "right", I'm making a generalisation here, but an accurate one)
Are you Americans gone haywire altogether. How is it even possible to divide everything and everybody into your version of left and right? Especially today, when we clearly live in a world with problems that the old notion of "left" and "right" does not even begin to address. Sorry for the generalization. Of course, it is not all Americans, but it does seem like a knee jerk response. The world is more complicated than that.
My experience from a distance is that conservatives these days see progressives as misguided, or holding uninformed opinions. Progressives see conservatives not as having different political opinions, but as being pure evil. Plus, a white male in a progressive environment is probably going going to get pretty tired of being told that he is sexist and racist, and that he needs to constantly atone for who he is.
You nailed it exactly on the head.
Straw man much? Who says that white men are evil? I mean, other than Tucker Carlson *saying* that’s what progressives say?
Why are you getting downvotes??
Because he’ speaking truth. We should be raising men, not pansies.
The majority of social media is run by left leaning individuals and organizations, while the right leaning users are generally censored. All of the super popular meme accounts on Twitter and Instagram are also left leaning, so I’m going to have to disagree with this woman. It’s not an issue everyone is having, it’s most likely just groups of teenagers.
If you believe that being right leaning leads to social media censoring, boy do I have a bridge to sell you.
Teenagers are the adults and politicians of the future. That is the problem. If they don't grow out of it (properly, not just in public) then that is a big problem.
Lol the kid is bombarded by liberal and feminist propaganda in the news, movies, tv shows and some games. Let him laugh at some memes. I laugh at memes about black metal. That doesn't mean I've ever thought of burning a church. Just teach him the clear difference between reality and fiction. Or just substitute every time someone says "white men" with "jew" and see how that sounds. https://www.reddit.com/r/menkampf/
For real dude talk about overreacting. It's like someone in here said, modern equivalent of saying rock and roll means praising satan
Yaro lol
This mom can shut the fuck up, she probably one of those white guilt, pro feminist moms no one likes..
Everything about this is annoying. People ARE too easily offended, if they're really offended at all, which I doubt.
Don't actually do this. Jesus.
This.is.a.load of.crap. - from one mom of a boy to another
I did not read this post other than the Title and I was uninspired to fully look a photos. Not because I felt negativity but because there is no such thing as racism, their is only hatred any being is able to say filthy words but for some people their is a negative spite to their conversation. Such things don't bother me because once you understand yourself and not the label persons place you understand that word are man made an deception is in the fibers but not in your own existence.
As we know, before Social Media, there was no racism. What do you mean the Civil War? What are you talking about? Can you imagine a world where black people were enslaved by White people and forced to do menial tasks? No, that's ridiculous and impossible. It's obviously just Social Media Propaganda. You snowflakes should stop being so stupid.
Some of this does happen, but I honestly think that most memes (even the ones that are edgy) are fine. Some people just abuse tags like #edgymemes to be able to post disgusting things. The problem is just the social media can't always keep the two apart and so a lot of bad shit gets posted under tags like #edgymemes. Btw I like memes so 🤷♂️
Lol why does the man shrugging turn into ? + ♂???
.
The poor kids of this psycho woman are going to run screaming from that house when they’re old enough and never look back
I’d help them run away. Can you imagine living with this beast?
another 9year old
This point of view involves a vast conspiracy where vloggers and posters of memes have come together to to recruit young people into their racist club. That is so ridiculous. Maybe people are just starting to see something in our society and they are working out problems with it and their own feelings about it. Some see this as white supremacy but in reality it's human nature and has nothing to do with being white.
Amen. She makes it out to be something it's OBVIOUSLY not. I don't think the makers of the memes are all sitting around a table rubbing their hands together trying to figure out a way to show how superior white men are, haha. She's an idiot.
Incels grooming new incels.
what utter nonsense
Its been happening.
This is BS, why are young children and teenagers on the internet in the first place? People should only be allowed on the internet when they understand what it is and the consequences of using it. I also didn't read this thread on Twitter because she started it with 'white teenage sons', it's her responsibility to check what her teenager is getting into.
The Alt-Right Playbook (series of YouTube videos by Innuendo Studios) talks about this. I can't find the exact video that really delves into this specific topic, but I know it's there - perhaps in multiple videos. The whole series is great, though. Anyway, if I find the clip I'm thinking of, I'll post as a reply to this comment.
Stupid
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I would gladly help this child run away from home. His mother is obviously abusive.
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Obviously a liberal just bitching to have something to bitch about.
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Poor kid doesn't stand a chance with such a toxic mother. Stalked and indoctrinated 24/7
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The woman who is brainwashing her son must have seen the negative response and shut down (You must click to view sensitive content) by bringing in some SJW (Socialist Justice Wuss) to downvote the people calling her out as horrible mother. When he volunteers for Thomas Massie in the next few years, look back at this and realize why he has become an “extremist” libertarian. You are essentially engaging in child abuse. That child should be taken from your home.
Are you trolling or really think she's a horrible mother for teaching her son not to be racist? Then what do you think would make her a 'good mom' if not that?
She's teaching her son to find racism and sexism in jokes. She makes is very, very clear she's not saying "Hey son, I'd just like you to know the possible deeper implications of some of what you're reading". She's going out of her way to inundate him with progressive buzzwords and to seek out racism and sexism where they may not be any. She's not someone teaching the kid to think for himself, she's creating a son in her image. That's not good.
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These sort of things making young mean insensitive I can understand, but grooming them to be white supremacists?! That's just stupid
Funny how so many people have locked on to the white supremacist part of this and decided to get all offended about it. She is also trying to avoid her sons becoming homophobic, sexist and mysogynist. Basically trying to help them become decent human beings, as any parent should.
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This wouldn't even be an issue at all if social media didn't exist. Try putting the computer down, playing a sport, or God forbid, looking up from the screen and meeting people in real life.
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Wait! I have an idea. There's a word for it...IRL. You know. Go outside, take the effing computer away, be the parent who makes their own memes if you must but get outside. Even if you just stand there, it's better than posting whatever was posted. I got bored around...oh...the first Twitter post. I'm fairly certain there's parental controls too...unless it's changed in the past 2 minutes.
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That's how it is for the blacks. No other culture shows their women how black people do in their media. Or uptalks sellings drugs and guns...and then they wonder why its a problem among their own
"the blacks" 🙄
It is happening. But not only to white boys, it is happening to youth of all races, colors, shades, religions, etc. And is polarizing our world.
Is it though? There is a global fascist movement in the West that's fueled in part by memes and 'humor'. Other extremists, like radical Islam, employ other modes of recruiting, like chat rooms.
Absolutely. I commend the mother for not wanting her son to be a racist bigot but propaganda goes both ways. It seems as though she wants to indoctrinate him with her beliefs and not wanting him to see both sides of the coin. The majority of mainstream media already pushes a certain agenda so he should be taught to think critically of it all.
Its all you stupid boomers that think that's what's happening. Have you ever just taken a step back and realized that it's all in you head? Most people just want to have a good time. Sure there are some like that, but there are people like that in every group
Sure there are some boomers like that, but there are people like that in every group. You played yourself
"And is polarizing our world." BWAHAHAHAHAH! Go pound sand you twit.
Jonathan Haidt, a progressive liberal Jewish academic with a Ph.D in Pscyhology, has critiqued the concept of people being 'triggered' and having trigger warnings. He said it's not taken seriously by the psychologists with the deepest expertise in addressing trauma. I say this all as a socially liberal, straight ally who has marched in Pride parades, dislikes the POTUS and votes Democratic: there really is a problem of speech intolerance among some on the far left. 'Get your hate speech off of this campus!' Getting physically violent over Ben Shapiro saying ideas. Literally throwing a milkshake at a GOP Member of Congress (https://bit.ly/2z0Eovf). That's why the right are calling them snowflakes, b/c some on the left really are unwilling to even be in the presence of ideas they disagree with. Anyone on the left or center left needs to call it out and rid the left of it, marginalize it, not tolerate their intolerance.
Regarding Ben Shapiro, I had heard that had been banned from speaking at some campus due to some protests, and I heard that people on the right were talking about liberal colleges, etc. I just assumed that these speakers were really, really hateful people like KKK members. So, my son showed me a speech by Ben Shapiro at a campus. He said one controversial thing, and the college ended his speech, shut him down. I was dumbfounded. I don't agree with pretty much anything the guy says, but he wasn't saying anything that should cause that reaction. I think he said many people who are poor are poor due to bad decisions. I think it is largely wrong or at least far more complicated than that, but I wanted to hear his points. No need to kick him out. If nothing else, he challenges a person to think how to defend their own view, which is a very good mental exercise. (FYI, I'm quite progressive, as is my son. Sanders and Jill Stein voters.)
Yeah, it's both sad and amazing that some (I know, not all) of the far left younger Milennials are so unable to even be near someone saying something they strongly disagree w/. I recently heard a group of younger Millennials talking about how awful it was for some group of conservatives to have a rally. I pointed out to them this same thing: 'I'm a socially-liberal, D-voting-center-left guy myself, BUT those right wing people have a right to say things.' - The younger Millennials were looking at me like this was something they'd never considered before, as though it were a new concept to them that the 1st Am. applies to anyone not on the left. Then again, they may have heard a Dem no less prominent than Howard Dean say: 'The First Amendment doesn't protect hate speech.' (His exact words). Wrong Howard, SCOTUS specifically has ruled that it does, several times. It's high time we re-educate some of our own political allies.
If the GOP has it's way all your problems are solved within a few months: Civil liberties groups are warning of a major threat to online freedoms and First Amendment rights if a leaked draft of a Trump administration edict—dubbed by critics as a “Censor the Internet” executive order that would give powerful federal agencies far-reaching powers to pick and choose which kind of Internet material is and is not acceptable—is allowed to go into effect. Which means that from that moment only the racist, sexist propaganda from Trump and the GOP can be published.
It is proven that laws and constitution don't mean a thing to Trump and if he can find ways to restrict free speech or divide the Americans even more, he will surely use them.
For free speech concerns, Trump also said in Dec. '16 that he would 'deport anyone who burns the American flag.' This despite the SCOTUS ruling in Texas v. Johnson that burning the flag is protected political speech under 1st Am. Pretty chilling that he said that. But in '05 Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer (and many other Ds and Rs on the Hill) sponsored a bill that would've made burning the American flag a felony w/ a 1 year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. Thank goodness that bill was shot down by sensible people in Congress, patriots who recognize how central the tolerance of dissent is to American patriotism. How sad and shameful that so many in both parties are so ready to endanger our civil liberties as soon as someone says something controversial. We have to remember Voltaire's ideal: 'I disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.'
I hear the currently deceased 8chan and the still going 4chan are a haven for saying any bullshit you like and being encouraged in it. Never been on those, but 9gag is bad enough. The racism and mysogyny is shocking and very few people ever get criticised for it. I'm not a signed up user to it, so am not in a position to do so and feel I would be wasting my breath if I did. Maybe if all the reasonable people on Bored Panda bombarded the users of other sites with our common sense, we might get somewhere. Remove the approval, but don't replace it with shame. Replace it with reason.
9gag has gone really down the drain. It used to be funny in the beginning, but I stopped visiting after a while, because it started becoming quite hostile to women. I hadn't seen the site in a few years and when I visited out of curiosity a few weeks ago...yikes. There's nothing funny about the rampant misogyny and racism going on there.
"The racism and misogyny are shocking and very few people ever get criticized for it." Spot on. Feedback needed!
Parents need to be checking what their kids do online. And listening and talking to them about it. Picking a site "you heard is racist" and going on a deplatforming crusade is about showing off your virtue, while completely ignoring the problem. The problem which incidentally the op in this article has bullshitted into something totally out of proportion. KEEP YOUR EYE ON WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING. Watch their favourite youtubers with them. Take an interest in whatever sites they like. Its not the alt right that's the problem. Its the world.
I can see that this woman is trying to raise awareness of a real issue. I agree but do not fully agree, because not all memes are racist or sexist, so it is not like they are the bane of human existence. Also I do not see how "triggered" automatically means white supremesist when it is clearly a slang word that means annnoyed.
She doesn't accuse the whole meme culture. In fact, she's inviting other parents to help their kids filter out the harmful ones amongst memes. Because, whether we like it or not, memes are used as a tool for brainwashing as well, since they're short, humorous easy to understand, relatable, and easy to share. Sure, tons of memes out there are harmless, even cute sometimes, but as much are also subtly offensive, while another ton is straightforward offensive. The important part is to learn to differentiate between various kinds of contents, and that's exactly the point of this mother's analogy.
I only ever hear triggered used when someone thinks another person is overreacting. Her point being that, if someone is using "triggered" they're almost certainly complaining about someone disagreeing with them on something offensive. White supremacy was only one aspect that this woman was talking about. She also mentioned sexism, homophobia and anti-semitism. She has not said all memes are like that, but to watch out for those that are - the ones kids are drawn into when they find them among the harmless funny ones they originally went looking for. They go looking for a joke about Chuck Norris or raiding Area51 and are led down a darker path.
Being triggered is not about being annoyed, it's about being catapulted into what is often a very bad head space by someone's racist, sexist, or other offensive and frightening words or behavior. Or, if you're a veteran with combat experience, it's fireworks or a gunshot putting you right back in the very thick of your worst nightmares from service, or a sudden awakening making you lash out at the nearest person because, again, you're stuck in the very physical manifestation of your past bad experiences. It can be so intense that you are completely unaware of your present situation. This is not fun for anyone. It's no joke and can be very dangerous for the people around you, especially for those who have combat experience and lash out and hurt or kill their loved ones. https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/guide-to-triggering/
The word triggered used in a derogatory manner is almost solely the domain who sling around words like snowflake to describe someone. It goes with a general culture of insensitivity, rudeness, and far, far worse things. Usually a culture of misogyny, racism, and those who minimize the humanity of others to make themselves feel better. That culture is toxic, and using the word triggered is generally an indicator that they've been exposed to it and have, to some degree, been indoctrinated. No one thinks all memes are bad, but there does exist a kind of meme that is totally devoid of humanity, and unless you are heartless, aren't even funny.
I am flabbergasted that a person can read this, and think that the poster is declaring that "white men are bad". I grew up in a Christian household, my father a white Christian minister, Master of Divinity. I was taught that racism, sexism, violence and hatred, is _unChristian*_, and has no place in a developed society. (Because I grew up in a family that valued education, I was also taught that racism, hatred, sexism, and violence is against Jewish doctrine, Muslim doctrine, and are in all aspects unhealthy elements that must be addressed in society.)
But hey, if you think someone telling you "don't be a jerk!" means that you are being told that an entire group of people are by nature bad people, or the cause of all problems, you are clearly deflecting responsibility away from yourself. Be a grown-up, acknowledge that you have an obligation to treat people with dignity and respect. That is the American way. That is part of common humanity, for those of us who want to be a productive member of society. That is part of our faith, for those of us who identify as religious.
This isa bunch of liberal bullshit
agree man... hope you don't go down the liberal downvote drain
So happy this mom is not my mom. I'd rather be told to think for myself instead of being programmed to see everything as a racist danger.
If every person everywhere had more empathy, we'd live in a perfect world. I hope more parents would follow her example and teach their kids by explaining things instead of shaming and judging them. "Good begets good, while evil begets nothing but evil".
Yeah but you only agree with mom "teaching" because you agree with what she'll teach. If anybody else has a different opinion I bet you won't be as open to the concept. So many people are hypocrites because they teach empathy and tolerance...so long as it agrees with their exact views. The examples she cites are often virtue signallers and race baiters. You probably have the opposite opinion and that's just fine. I'm cool with your comment so long as you accept that there's more than one way to think.
If we're boiling politics down to left wing, right wing, and undecided, then I've seen plenty of people in all of those groups who have said "people are too sensitive" and "you can't say anything anymore". There's rarely any bigotry, from what I've personally seen, as it's usually about having their right to free speech maintained, instead of silenced. Ricky Gervais' latest show, After Life, has a joke in it where he responds to a little boy who calls his character a "paedo" by calling the kid a "tubby, ginger cunt". When this was available to the masses via Netflix, did people get upset because he called a little kid a "cunt"? No. They got upset because he called a ginger kid "ginger". How is that worse? I'm not suggesting we should say whatever we want, because words can incite violence, even to a small degree, but we shouldn't be shamed for speaking at all.
Also, if this woman's kid is being targeted by white supremacists, either he, or they, were seeking the other out for that very reason. You can't just log into Facebook or Twitter, and end up being bombarded with white supremacist propaganda out of nowhere, unless you're actively looking for it. That's not how the internet works. Starting on the Google homepage doesn't instantly take you to a porn site, visiting YouTube doesn't immediately open a video, and signing into Spotify doesn't automatically start your playlist. You have to be curious/interested enough in these things to go searching for them. And that means there's only one person to blame.
Take a look on 9gag, innocent enough, some funny stuff on there. Then read some of the comments. Look at all the screengrabs of women's butts and cleavages and references to "those kind of people" after videos of black people. Read enough of that BS at a young age, join in, get upvotes, feel validated. This stuff can twist a young mind quite easily. What this woman is saying is, know what your kids are getting into, call them on it and set them straight before it's too late. You don't have to go looking for the "starter pack". Then a young mind is easily lead astray by links to other things that might look interesting.
I agree with RaroaRaroa. I ended up at Bored Panda because I noticed that the comments section of my previous favorite website (The Chive) contained racists. A lot of the threads on Bored Panda and The Chive are the same, but every time there is a funny Twitter story featuring black people, The Chive comments are filled with people claiming to not be able to understand the “atrocious grammar” of the Twitter thread, when it’s really just American Black slang that is not hard to understand; they’re trying to be subtle not so subtle racist. It’s a shame because the people who run the Chive seem decent and do a lot of charity work, but I just couldn’t take it any more.
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No, this is not about politics or edgy humor. It's lessons in basic morality in a world where people are being executed by mass shooters who use the same language.
is it not a parents job to guide their children? im seeing quite a lot of comments assuming that just because this woman is showing her son how to decipher the media that may or may not be influencing him without his knowledge, makes her a monster. that she does not have the right to tell her son why someone may be offended if he shares this or says that. would you rather her have no interaction with her son? or tell him that if anyone disagrees with you, they are wrong, or snowflakes, or just cant handle the truth? to me she has done her role as a mother, who actually cares about her sons future, very well. he will grow and know that he is allowed his own opinion and that it should be an informed one at that and he will be aware of the people out there trying to take advantage of his lack of experience.
In third grade there was a group of boys who really like memes. They were the worst classmates, yet the funniest and I was their friend. They got into trouble, like, alot. They weren't racist, but some of their jokes were a little offensive.
I bet those guys were a ton of fun and didn't take the memes seriously. Learn to lighten up and don't take things too seriously.
She is so right. Never thought about it that way before.
...And this just shows why generation z is turning out more conservative and rejecting SJWs and the control-left. This is simply the new version of controlling parents saying that rock music is turning their kids into satanists.
Except that nobody died by apparent satantic panic. We just had three mass shootings in a week linked to extremist ideology.
This is what happens when instagram makes their own memes because they can't remove reddit watermarks.
This is honestly the stupidest thing I've ever read! And it's also not just boys. Just let kids be kids! Don't drag them into politics.
Yup. So thankful this women isn't my mom. It's not teaching, it's virtue signalling. If she was doing her job she'd teach the kid to think for himself as opposed to just blindly following mommy's lead.
but its not
Turning your boys into whipped weak beta males is pathetic.
Just keep on turning your kids into whipped beta males lol
Ok Boomers
"white boys", ever heard of several black/female trump fans?
I am a black female and I believe it comes down to what you are taught at home. I was raised in a home where having friends of all kinds of races, religions, and sexes was and is okay. How people interpret the world and view all other people starts with their parents. If parents are racially intolerant that might encourage their kids. However, once a person gets to be a certain age, they can make their own decisions about who they are around. So yes you should monitor your kids on the internet, but you should also be leading by example.
In my seventh grade I saw this happening. Some of the boys (and girls) were becoming racist bigots. I never realized the connection until now, now I remember, they're all the "dank meme" kids.
Hahahaha quick everyone, get your victim hats on!! Its an another alt right conspiracy! So the truth is - you need to keep your eye on what your children are doing and seeing online. The rest of it is all your own paranoid nonsense.
'Tell them you are always there not judging...Then don't judge!' - But Joanna you clearly are judging. We're all judging things all the time. Don't pull the classic liberal fallacy of suddenly claiming you're not passing moral judgments amidst a long series of arguments which can only be logically understood as an extensive series of judgments. (I say as a liberal whose made this mistake before myself). And also: 'Have them watch Trevor Noah, etc.' In other words: if your boys are watching comedians that share my liberal worldview than great! If the comedians challenge some of our liberal worldview they're racists with bad intentions.'
Some corners of the internet need a good Grandma and Grandpa to come in. Talk to these now-grown-up kids who went from obnoxious 12yos saying "poopy" on the internet to obnoxious, sometimes vile, people who have had no peer pressure to make them be moral people. They need Grandma and Grandpa to charge into the group, shake their finger, tell them to grow up, mind their manners, stop acting the fool, and what-would-your-mother-think?!
How do you crate radical white men you follow this womens ideas. If you ostracize men from the social group you create a resentful person. With social ostracize they just find a group that reinforce there anger. This leads to ether suicide or violence.
She lost me when she said its wrong to be offended by people not saying Merry Christmas. I'd happily say Eid Murbaraka to a Muslim friend, or Happy Hanukkah to someone who's Jewish. Not saying Merry Christmas just devalues the significance of Christians and of their religion
pleople have to understand that memes are jokes, dark jokes, sad jokes, cruel jokes..etc and the point is...dont take it too seriously
Yeah, it's always someone else's fault...
I disagree a little bit with the starting couple of tweets but she won me over by including John Mulaney in her recommended
Anyone who doesn't see this on both sides of the aisle is not paying attention.
Disgusting. No wonder your son is rejecting your socialist crap.
The irony is lost on them thinking that the right is "grooming" yet they are grooming then to be leftists.. why not just allow your kids to be their own person. To grow, learn, and think for themselves?
This woman sounds to me like she's simply trying to raise sons who are not sexist, racist or homophobic. If that is the definition of leftist to you, what would that make your definition of someone on the right? It sounds to me more like the definition of a decent human being.
She's raising her kid to always be on the lookout for racism and sexism etc. If you are a hammer, everything is a nail. Seek and ye shall definitely find (whether it's there or not). Shawn is downvoted for saying kids should be taught to grow, learn and think for themselves and makes me sad.
wish i could upvote this more cause i know the left wing downvotes are gonna come thick and fast (And I know the world is far more than "left" and "right", I'm making a generalisation here, but an accurate one)
Are you Americans gone haywire altogether. How is it even possible to divide everything and everybody into your version of left and right? Especially today, when we clearly live in a world with problems that the old notion of "left" and "right" does not even begin to address. Sorry for the generalization. Of course, it is not all Americans, but it does seem like a knee jerk response. The world is more complicated than that.
My experience from a distance is that conservatives these days see progressives as misguided, or holding uninformed opinions. Progressives see conservatives not as having different political opinions, but as being pure evil. Plus, a white male in a progressive environment is probably going going to get pretty tired of being told that he is sexist and racist, and that he needs to constantly atone for who he is.
You nailed it exactly on the head.
Straw man much? Who says that white men are evil? I mean, other than Tucker Carlson *saying* that’s what progressives say?
Why are you getting downvotes??
Because he’ speaking truth. We should be raising men, not pansies.
The majority of social media is run by left leaning individuals and organizations, while the right leaning users are generally censored. All of the super popular meme accounts on Twitter and Instagram are also left leaning, so I’m going to have to disagree with this woman. It’s not an issue everyone is having, it’s most likely just groups of teenagers.
If you believe that being right leaning leads to social media censoring, boy do I have a bridge to sell you.
Teenagers are the adults and politicians of the future. That is the problem. If they don't grow out of it (properly, not just in public) then that is a big problem.
Lol the kid is bombarded by liberal and feminist propaganda in the news, movies, tv shows and some games. Let him laugh at some memes. I laugh at memes about black metal. That doesn't mean I've ever thought of burning a church. Just teach him the clear difference between reality and fiction. Or just substitute every time someone says "white men" with "jew" and see how that sounds. https://www.reddit.com/r/menkampf/
For real dude talk about overreacting. It's like someone in here said, modern equivalent of saying rock and roll means praising satan
Yaro lol
This mom can shut the fuck up, she probably one of those white guilt, pro feminist moms no one likes..
Everything about this is annoying. People ARE too easily offended, if they're really offended at all, which I doubt.
Don't actually do this. Jesus.
This.is.a.load of.crap. - from one mom of a boy to another
I did not read this post other than the Title and I was uninspired to fully look a photos. Not because I felt negativity but because there is no such thing as racism, their is only hatred any being is able to say filthy words but for some people their is a negative spite to their conversation. Such things don't bother me because once you understand yourself and not the label persons place you understand that word are man made an deception is in the fibers but not in your own existence.
As we know, before Social Media, there was no racism. What do you mean the Civil War? What are you talking about? Can you imagine a world where black people were enslaved by White people and forced to do menial tasks? No, that's ridiculous and impossible. It's obviously just Social Media Propaganda. You snowflakes should stop being so stupid.
Some of this does happen, but I honestly think that most memes (even the ones that are edgy) are fine. Some people just abuse tags like #edgymemes to be able to post disgusting things. The problem is just the social media can't always keep the two apart and so a lot of bad shit gets posted under tags like #edgymemes. Btw I like memes so 🤷♂️
Lol why does the man shrugging turn into ? + ♂???
.
The poor kids of this psycho woman are going to run screaming from that house when they’re old enough and never look back
I’d help them run away. Can you imagine living with this beast?
another 9year old
This point of view involves a vast conspiracy where vloggers and posters of memes have come together to to recruit young people into their racist club. That is so ridiculous. Maybe people are just starting to see something in our society and they are working out problems with it and their own feelings about it. Some see this as white supremacy but in reality it's human nature and has nothing to do with being white.
Amen. She makes it out to be something it's OBVIOUSLY not. I don't think the makers of the memes are all sitting around a table rubbing their hands together trying to figure out a way to show how superior white men are, haha. She's an idiot.
Incels grooming new incels.
what utter nonsense
Its been happening.
This is BS, why are young children and teenagers on the internet in the first place? People should only be allowed on the internet when they understand what it is and the consequences of using it. I also didn't read this thread on Twitter because she started it with 'white teenage sons', it's her responsibility to check what her teenager is getting into.
The Alt-Right Playbook (series of YouTube videos by Innuendo Studios) talks about this. I can't find the exact video that really delves into this specific topic, but I know it's there - perhaps in multiple videos. The whole series is great, though. Anyway, if I find the clip I'm thinking of, I'll post as a reply to this comment.
Stupid
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I would gladly help this child run away from home. His mother is obviously abusive.
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Obviously a liberal just bitching to have something to bitch about.
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Poor kid doesn't stand a chance with such a toxic mother. Stalked and indoctrinated 24/7
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The woman who is brainwashing her son must have seen the negative response and shut down (You must click to view sensitive content) by bringing in some SJW (Socialist Justice Wuss) to downvote the people calling her out as horrible mother. When he volunteers for Thomas Massie in the next few years, look back at this and realize why he has become an “extremist” libertarian. You are essentially engaging in child abuse. That child should be taken from your home.
Are you trolling or really think she's a horrible mother for teaching her son not to be racist? Then what do you think would make her a 'good mom' if not that?
She's teaching her son to find racism and sexism in jokes. She makes is very, very clear she's not saying "Hey son, I'd just like you to know the possible deeper implications of some of what you're reading". She's going out of her way to inundate him with progressive buzzwords and to seek out racism and sexism where they may not be any. She's not someone teaching the kid to think for himself, she's creating a son in her image. That's not good.
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These sort of things making young mean insensitive I can understand, but grooming them to be white supremacists?! That's just stupid
Funny how so many people have locked on to the white supremacist part of this and decided to get all offended about it. She is also trying to avoid her sons becoming homophobic, sexist and mysogynist. Basically trying to help them become decent human beings, as any parent should.
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This wouldn't even be an issue at all if social media didn't exist. Try putting the computer down, playing a sport, or God forbid, looking up from the screen and meeting people in real life.
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Wait! I have an idea. There's a word for it...IRL. You know. Go outside, take the effing computer away, be the parent who makes their own memes if you must but get outside. Even if you just stand there, it's better than posting whatever was posted. I got bored around...oh...the first Twitter post. I'm fairly certain there's parental controls too...unless it's changed in the past 2 minutes.
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That's how it is for the blacks. No other culture shows their women how black people do in their media. Or uptalks sellings drugs and guns...and then they wonder why its a problem among their own
"the blacks" 🙄