Internet. One of the most (if not the most) influential invention of the last century. So free and accessible, one might almost believe that it is a great platform for democracy. Everyone has a voice. An anonymous, non-consequential ability to speak their mind. Does it have any drawbacks?
Yes. Obviously. And I am not talking about disinformation, I am fine with that, it only shows the lack of will of the general public. I am also not talking about social bubbles, which pretty much simulate reality. The issue is with the core idea itself. This intercontinental communication gave us the possibility to find people just like ourselves… And while for some is this thought unacceptable, there are people that gain from it.
They gain normality. Acceptance. Small groups of similar people (at least in some way) get assurance from others that they are not alone. That what they do, feel or think is normal. This way, things that would without these communities be thought of as weird, call for acceptance to the general norm. They make real-life conventions, where they gather and even thus increase their belief of being normal.
Don’t get me wrong, this does not mean that all of these communities are wrong. I only believe, that not all of them are right. Right for the public. There are communities of people with problematic political ideas, some of which are (in Europe) forbidden by law, there are also communities of people with sexual deviations and similar.
Although this will hardly result in these minorities becoming vastly bigger, it will for sure lead to more acceptance of them in the public eye. And even though there are such people that find no issue in that, I believe it is crucial that ill thinking or feeling stays ostracized. Because every human must have boundaries and it is best if we all have the same.