I feel like the amount of actual trolls and bad-faith posters made many people hyper vigilant about anything that looks like a potential bait. The general polarization also causes people to react more rashly rather than approaching something in good faith and responding in polite and constructive manner.

That’s not to say everyone is irrational and wrong about how they react but it really does seem like some would rather yell at any sign of opposition or doubt instead of talking it out. It’s an unfortunate result of the times we live in, to some extent.

Looks can give you a boost/foot in the door but they are only part of the equation. Personality is what makes or brakes your chances and will take you further in the long run. Tons of good looking people are “willing to settle” for less attractive partners they enjoy spending time with rather than going with “someone on their level” who’s as engaging as a piece of wet cardboard.

Be someone people want to interact with and your chances to find a supermodel will increase significantly.

Also, just because you don’t think you’re 10/10 doesn’t mean others don’t find you attractive. Many decent looking people tend to underestimate their attractiveness when, with a little work (proper clothing, basic hygiene and a new haircut), they could start turning heads left and right.

Of course, building trust is definitely an important part though even that can be misinterpreted as trying to be tricky. But yeah, I agree.

As I said before, I have a bit of an idealistic view on things and try to approach everyone at face value even if their criticism or question might seem antagonistic or a bait. As long as they aren’t obviously trying to start shit I’m willing to start by giving people a naive benefit of a doubt - one that’s very easily lost if things go south but still. That’s just me trying to find a right way to do things for myself though.

I absolutely wouldn’t want to convince people to change their approach to my liking. Everyone has their own threshold of bullshit they’re willing to put up with.

Some people definitely use it as such and I do think it became more and more common as the previously mentioned habit of treating accepting criticism as a weakness started being normalized. It’s something worth keeping in mind but preferably within reason. It’s also worth remembering that besides the usual jerks there are people who mean well but are complete trash when it comes to communicating - this is another issue with the lack of proper teaching about how to approach criticism in my opinion.

That said, just because someone tries to belittle you for your mistake or can’t provide proper feedback doesn’t mean the actual criticism is wrong. Sure, you shouldn’t take everything people say as complete truth but rather use it for introspection instead. They might have a point, even if they try to use it against you.

I don’t disagree with your point, humans aren’t always a nice and friendly bunch. I do think however that some people use this kind of thinking to shield themselves from accepting their own shortcomings. I used to be terrified of people criticizing my work/knowledge/actions and would react with anger (in my head and towards myself) for letting myself get to this position. It’s something that can be really hard to overcome.

Again, I don’t want to present my way of thinking as the one true way. I was lucky enough I didn’t have to deal with people trying to put me down for their own benefit (or fun) so my mindset is a bit more… idealistic (?) than if I were bullied as a kid or trampled as a coworker. There is no perfect answer and the best I can do is to try doing what I preach.

I’m also interested in how other people approach this question so I’ll be coming back to reading through this thread when I have some time.

Most people aren’t taught how to deal with criticism and see it as a personal attack, an attempt to discredit them. This leads a culture where people are afraid/unwilling to admit they were wrong (it’s a sign of weakness after all, “I can’t be weak”) and would rather dig themselves towards more and more absurd explanations and deflections on how they are the correct ones.

The more popular this stance becomes (compare how stars or politicians, the ones setting an example, act now and how they were few decades ago) the more it spreads, powering the cycle of pride and unwillingness to say “I was wrong”.

That’s how I see it at least. It’s not exactly a professional or scientific look at the issue so there might be better explanations out there.

That doesn’t seem to do much for me unfortunately. In my case the potential time I need to reserve for a gaming session tends to take precedence over hype whenever I’m in a lazy, scroll-focused rut. Still trying to get back to a recent(ish) release I was super hyped playing during its beta period… At least I have a semi decent explanation for this one, I guess.

While I can’t provide you with a proper scientific answer I can offer a basic explanation - it’s effort.

Browsing through the never ending amount of content online requires no effort but provides you with a dopamine rush as if you actually managed to accomplish or do something with your time. Other stuff, like watching movies, playing games, reading books, etc. requires attention and active participation, the payoff on the other hand is largely delayed (especially compared to the lazy option).

As for hacks… I don’t know any. The only ways I know how to deal with it is limiting your time scrolling through this stuff and forcing yourself to do other things - it can be rough early on but you’ll eventually get used to the “normal” way of functioning.

I see people are quick to lash out for a place called “No Stupid Questions”… I don’t know if OP is trolling or not but I can kind of understand where they’re coming from (or at least I think I do).

I grew up at a place and time where any info about LGBT+ was nonexistent, let alone having a chance of interacting with someone open about being part of that community. If your environment/life consist of a homogenized culture and view of the world, seeing tons of people “suddenly becoming trans” can be quite a shock. People don’t deal well with shock.

Hell, it has been years since I got out of my bubble and become aware of LGBT+ and I still had a bit of a shock (not a bad one, just in “surprise!” kind of way) when a content creator I’ve watched from time to time came out as trans.

I don’t necessarily think this question was asked in a bad faith but rather from position of ignorance - ignorance that could and should be dealt with in a productive manner. Throwing around accusations won’t help anyone and if OP is really trying to understand the situation, blowing up on them can lead to a negative outcome instead. Come on people, let’s do better.

As for the question: @[email protected] is right - it’s not “people turning trans”, it’s “people not hiding anymore”. World isn’t the same as it was a decade ago and as society becomes more accepting, people are less likely to hide their sexuality, identity etc.

Regret is always a possibility, whatever the choice. Is it likely? Statistically speaking, I don’t think so (though I can’t find the research I’ve seen about this topic at the moment). You have to keep in mind that transition is not a simple or fast process and people don’t do it on a whim.

On the other hand, this might lead to serious improvements in both mental health and general qualityof life as people don’t have to deal with a body and “self” they don’t feel comfortable with.

I’m no expert on this topic but I hope this helps at least a little bit.