>>149719115It's insane how true this is. Everyone's brain is fucking fried by nonstop dopamine input and constant exposure to the opinions of millions. If something they watch doesn't result in immediate joy chemicals, they might not care, but if they DO get the joy chemicals, they then check the internet to see if they think they'll be able to get more joy chemicals out of continuing to unironically enjoy it, or if it would be more fun to shit on.
This mindset was present before social media, but mostly just among self-styled entertainment critics. I knew a few such individuals who would always see movies with us, and often enjoy them, but then totally change their opinion once they got home to the internet (this was before smartphones) to assess the fansite/forum battlegrounds and decide which faction was more fun to join.
The problem is simply that the niche pastime of shitposting on dedicated movie review forums is basically encompassed and magnified entirely by what social media has become. Everyone is just a few screen taps away from being picrel, but with far less knowledge or passion required—in the 90s or early 2000s, if you wanted to be a retard on the internet, you at least had to be smart enough to use a computer.