This was bound to happen. It had to happen. For over a decade, I've read statement from various academics and people who study future tendencies in society, that just like most other periods in history - the period that follows, tend to be the flip opposite of what we have experienced so far.
We're moving into a territory of people going to exercise their rights to free speech, to levels that would have gotten one in trouble over the last ten years(the non-offensive, people are afraid to offend society). But will this extend to social media like Twitter? I still think people are going to get in trouble and get fired, but I wonder if the counter-response will be in such a way that less people will bother. In a overflow offensive material on the net, people will de-sensitize and become passive unless it's really bad. Like it or not, I think we will see a lot more "everybody receives death threats. deal with it." < But I think this can change if policy makers remove some of peoples privacy rights on the internet, and I think this will also be one of the things that have massive consequences, like the tragedy surrounding this magazine.
I think it will bring good and bad things with it. I think there will be good, clean air, but the pendulum always swings too far, as more and more people want to jump on the fad and exercise their rights to offend. We will grow tougher as a culture, but people being offensive will also fall more on deaf ears, and some people will be hurt, while others will benefit. It's a give and take.
This period will probably take 10-15 years, and then there will be other reverse social norms, and we will again shun peoples lack of social awareness, public tact and so on.
It's basically like predicting that it's going to rain followed by sunshine. I'm just saying, that I think we're witnessing a transitional period in parts of global society. What I wonder is, if this will translate to internet culture - It's nearly impossible to measure the ramification of what offensive behavior does to us from this point of view.
I'm spending a lot of time trying to learn about the field of digital anthropology, but the field is new, and research is lacking.
We have to remember, that there is a logical push, and human beings have a need to create symbols. Buddha asked not to be drawn, carved or have made statues of himself. the very idea of worshiping an idol goes against the principle. There is not supposed to be a holy deity. One god that is above all. Everyone can be buddha. it's within yourself. But after 500 years, the wish to not be exemplified was lost, and now you see trinkets of Buddha everywhere.
I think people can't take their head out of the cookie jar, and the more you make a thing taboo, regardless of what it is, the more it will reach a boiling point eventually, and society will be forced to deal with it.
We're beginning to wrap our heads around homosexuality, and next up will be recreational drugs, the true story of hemp vs cotton and the rights of transsexuals, violence against men & rape in prisons, and maybe even one day pedophelia.
That's a lot of speculation! But I think this is the beginning of a change in attitude. / ramblings
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