MovieChat Forums > The Internet Ruined My Life (2016) Discussion > The Internet doesn't ruin your life

The Internet doesn't ruin your life

posted 8 years ago by kay_rock
14 replies | jump to latest

Obviously I haven't seen this show, but the title, premise, and commercials bug me a lot.

If you sent out the tweet, or made the post, the Internet didn't ruin your life. You ruined your life. Too many people are content to be rude, or racists, or jerks, or just stubbornly ignorant, and think the anonymity of the Internet makes that OK. Then they are shocked when people respond accordingly. "People are so mean!" they cry out. Usually when I've watched an online pile-on and subsequent melt-down, it started with one ignorant person making offensive posts and expecting no consequences.

The show may turn out different, who knows. But all the commercials show "victims" saying "I wish I'd never hit 'send.'" It wasn't the Internet that ruined their lives. It wasn't even hitting 'send.' It was whatever they wrote before, and the heart and mind that motivated those words. Whether it's insecurity driving someone to seek out public affirmation from strangers or a moment of unchecked hostility, THAT was the catalyst.

It's like someone saying "Facebook ruined my marriage" because their spouse caught them cheating on Facebook. No, idiot. You ruined your marriage by cheating.

Personal responsibility. Take it.

Of course everything I wrote may be rubbish and somehow the Internet itself did do something to ruin these people's lives, but I will be surprised if that's the case.

Movies are IQ tests; the IMDB boards are how people broadcast their score.

[–] Angie_MJ 8 years ago

Have you seen the first episode yet?

[–] kay_rock 8 years ago

Yes, I finally saw it.

I'm definitely wrong, in that they were able to find people who were not completely personally responsible for what happened to them. The stories are horrible.

Some of the victims definitely showed poor judgment, but nobody deserves what happened to these people.

Great show, but I still wince a little about vilifying the Internet itself. We could just as easily vilify ignorance, prejudice, and the fact that we keep allowing stupid people to breed.

Over-all, I liked the show and will keep watching. I do stand by my admonishment to the general population to think about what you say online, and be willing to live with the reactions you (we) inspire.

Movies are IQ tests; the IMDB boards are how people broadcast their score.

[–] Angie_MJ 8 years ago

Yeah I thought the first one was especially brutal and garnered very unnecessary responses. Things were just taken too far and it defies logic to meet a statement you don't agree with, with death and rape threats. Or to jeapordize their safety by publishing their personal information online. I'm disturbed by the character of the respondents and how so many could collectively support the behavior.

I also wondered what sort of stories they would go with. Like you, the only viral stories I could recall were people who had made reprehensible social media posts and brought negative attention on themselves. I've read things that I just could not understand what they were thinking or why it was suppose to be funny. Those people tend to lose their jobs or friends. The entire incident tends to self correct and fade over time. This first episode was eye opening. I had never actually heard of either one.

[–] austinman 8 years ago

Ms Pack seemed to be of the opinion that she could say whatever she would like and face no consequences.
I suppose thats the logical end result of being told that "you're a unique snowflake, here's your trophy for participating".

Death threats were silly, the proper response would have been: "All your yammerings make little sense and should simply be ignored by intelligent people".

Cheers

[–] Angie_MJ 8 years ago

It seems unlikely that she doesn't see the consequences in her open opinions. She had an audience and considers herself an activist. It would be hard to believe in that case she has never been in position to have to defend her stances. But, I do believe she had a reasonable expectation that those who do not agree with her could argue their position in much the same way she did, considering people manage to do so everyday on those very same platforms. You are absolutely correct in what a logical response would have been for anyone who disagrees. But that's how mature adults see the world. This was something else entirely.

[–] austinman 8 years ago

People who anticipate 100% sane response from internet users are the EXACT same people who are shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, at the images they receive when they try chat roulette.
I truly admire your perception that the internet is where one can have "reasonable expectations"and where a person can find "mature adults". Please don't view any comments on any youtube video, your mindset will change immediately.

Yeah, I don't think she's in the habit of defending her viewpoints because she seems to lack the ability to reasonably debate those of a opposing mindset.

"People don't listen to us if we're being reasonable"
Suey Park

Cheers

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kay_rock 8 years ago

Does anyone have a crazy-to-English dictionary? Because I haven't the foggiest clue what this person is ranting about.

Beware, crazy person. The Internet might be out to get you.

Movies are IQ tests; the IMDB boards are how people broadcast their score.

[–] jesudomine 8 years ago

You hadn't heard about this because the stories are obviously half *beep*

[–] wearetheborg-1 8 years ago

The Internet rolled up into a big ball and rolled down the road crushing my parents' car while they were driving and at the same time stole all my inheritance money that they had in a suitcase in the trunk and you still say it's my fault?

True story.

[–] avnrulz 8 years ago

O.P., regardless, it was their original action that caused it (cause and effect).

I made it half way through the first episode before I gave up.

BOHICA America!

[–] kay_rock 8 years ago

I started watching this hoping to prove myself wrong, and see instances where the Internet had actually been at fault in someone's misfortune.

There have been a few instances on the show where jerks have USED the Internet to hurt someone (usually someone the victim knows). Usually, though, as predicted, the show has been about idiots who hopped on the Internet and screwed up their own lives, and can't understand their own personal accountability.

They should change the title to "It would have been fine if I was an idiot/a**hole if there hadn't been so many people watching!"

Movies are IQ tests; the IMDB boards are how people broadcast their score.

[–] nunyabiznesskay 8 years ago

Why would you post something about something, saying that you know nothing about it, yet and still it's rubbish. I'm pretty sure they thought of this aspect, and there will be people on there that didn't actually post or send anything, and those that were duped.

[–] kay_rock 8 years ago

You're "pretty sure?"

You haven't seen the show to be absolutely sure?

Irony. It's what's for breakfast.

Movies are IQ tests; the IMDB boards are how people broadcast their score.