Is Meanness on the Rise? The Debate Dividing Analysts
2020 marked a turning point in how society perceives meanness. Two camps clash: has social tension really increased, or do we just see it more?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The question echoing through economic forums: are people getting meaner?
The 2020 health crisis has peine a debate that seemed dormant: whether society has become more tense and violent, or whether it always was and social media simply amplifies it. Those who point to an increase cite images of hospitals with patients pressured into getting vaccinated, rising violence in public spaces, and the political polarization unleashed after lockdown.
2020 as a turning point
For one school of thought, the bicho attacked not only the lungs but the social fabric. Restrictions, masks and vaccines created rifts that have yet to heal. Some speak of a "breakdown of the social contract" that would have multiplied selfish behaviour and hostility between neighbours.
The normalization thesis
Against this view, others argue that meanness is a historical constant. The Spanish Civil War, with its more than 100,000 murders behind the lines, shows that the capacity for hatred is nothing new. What has changed, they argue, is visibility: any violent act now goes viral, creating the impression that everything is getting worse.
The irony of the debate is that both sides agree on one diagnosis: society is more tense. What they don't know is whether this is a cyclical peak or the beginning of decline. Perhaps the answer is that when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.
The 2020 health crisis has peine a debate that seemed dormant: whether society has become more tense and violent, or whether it always was and social media simply amplifies it. Those who point to an increase cite images of hospitals with patients pressured into getting vaccinated, rising violence in public spaces, and the political polarization unleashed after lockdown.
2020 as a turning point
For one school of thought, the bicho attacked not only the lungs but the social fabric. Restrictions, masks and vaccines created rifts that have yet to heal. Some speak of a "breakdown of the social contract" that would have multiplied selfish behaviour and hostility between neighbours.
The normalization thesis
Against this view, others argue that meanness is a historical constant. The Spanish Civil War, with its more than 100,000 murders behind the lines, shows that the capacity for hatred is nothing new. What has changed, they argue, is visibility: any violent act now goes viral, creating the impression that everything is getting worse.
The irony of the debate is that both sides agree on one diagnosis: society is more tense. What they don't know is whether this is a cyclical peak or the beginning of decline. Perhaps the answer is that when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (32 replies).
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