Just the other day, the Lady Talis introduced me to the term Toxic positivity. The concept there is that saying ‘silver lining’ statements is a form of toxic behavior that, at the least, downplays the power of the negative experience when often it is important to stay in that moment of or recognize the importance and value of the negative moment. All of that got me thinking about toxicity itself, and the almost virulent polarizing quality it has taken on in “American” society.
I will start by acknowledging how much I don’t know on the issue. While I say things are bad now, I am likely dealing with a recency bias. I don’t know how bad things have always been. What I do know is that social media provides me a lot easier access to opinions and toxic material. In fact, I went back for another 10 minute twitter stroll and learned that holy crap people are angry over everything. From the divisive rhetoric focused on the two presidential candidates, to sports talk, to religion and war, everyone has a side to take.