What's something you used to do/see/say but don't anymore because you don't feel it's right?
Me personally? I've become much less tolerant of sexist humor. Back in the day, cracking a joke at women's expense was pretty common when I was a teen. As I've matured and become aware to the horrific extent of toxicity and bigotry pervading all tiers of our individualistic society, I've come to see how exclusionarly and objectifying that sort of 'humor' really is, and I regret it deeply.
I was totally headed down the alt right pipeline. Throughout highschool I was depressed and lonely. I lost my faith which sent me to the online atheist community which ran out of content, so they started attacking feminists/sjws. I also just distrusted women because I got molested as a child by one and no one took it seriously. This had primed me to just eat up all the content from the MRA/antifeminist crowd. The youtube algorithm, which at the time was absolutely unhinged, pushed me to racist content which I just parroted because I didn't know any better. I didn't understand why things were the way things were, but I was taught who to blame.
What saved me was getting friends. These friends shattered my preconceptions, which sent me to the library, which got me talking to more people, which got me reading more. By the time I finished high school I just became utterly incompatible with the person I used to be. I couldn't take back the things I said to people, but I could join their protests and speak up for them when I heard some heinous shit being said.
I watched a few Jordan Peterson videos out of curiosity, and I will also watch some Joe Rogan clips as well for the same reason. For a while, I was bombarded by alt right YouTube videos. It's so crazy to think just a few clicks can lead you down that path. I was older when I watched so it, so I could obviously discern their real message, but if I was a younger man it would be harder. The algorithm almost seemed to slowly introduce more and more extreme views.
For a while, I was bombarded by alt right YouTube videos. It’s so crazy to think just a few clicks can lead you down that path.
I think it's that people who are into that kind of messaging are really into that kind of messaging and tend to binge-watch whole feeds. Engagement-driven algorithms present more and more of it hoping to get those ad presentations. I hope it's not a nefarious conspiracy to boost right wing propaganda, but I suppose, without the actual algorithm, that we'll never know.
Ive spent a good time in MRA subs. It's not a bad thing. We need someone to bring to light the disparity in family and divorce court. We need people fighting for men's parental rights.
There are people who go way too far into the red pill and incel territory. But MRA on its own has merits and are often fighting just for egality in the aspects of our society where women are given undue preferential treatment. There is nothing biological which makes a woman a more competent caregiver or more able to love a child. Additionally, society is changing and women are more likely to be in the work force, even in a relationship, making the idea of alimony dated.