How do you know when to log off? - AKA when do you reach your limit

[scared sheep]

I’ve been too scared to get off the couch for like two hours now and it’s boring so let’s talk.

Everyone likes to pretend they’re above it all, but unless you’re schizoaffective or have low empathy, chances are, something on the internet has emotionally affected you, whether in a good or bad way. Maybe someone left a comment that pushed one of your hot buttons. Maybe you cried over a touchy-feely conversation with a member of a website you like. We’re human, it’s normal.

But sometimes that emotional investment can cause you to overreact to words on a screen. Of course, we all debate and discuss, but there’s a line between that and chimping out. When you’re in an internet argument, how do you know you’re getting too upset about something? What do you do to cool down?

I’ll start: my hot button is acting as if abuse victims are “broken” or dirty, and I can tell when I’m getting upset when I start treating it like an irl interaction. Usually at that point I take a walk outside or play video games to cool down and remind myself that the internet isn’t that important.

Edit: spelling fixes

 

[Corrugated Daffodils]

I’ve been too scared to get off the couch for like two hours now and it’s boring so let’s talk.

Everyone likes to pretend they’re above it all, but unless you’re schizoaffective or have low empathy, chances are, something on the internet has emotionally affected you, whether in a good or bad way. Maybe someone left a comment that pushed one of your hot buttons. Maybe you cried over a touchy-feely conversation with a member of a website you like. We’re human, it’s normal.

But sometimes that emotional investment can cause you to overreact to words on a screen. Of course, we all debate and discuss, but there’s a line between that and chimping out. When you’re in an internet argument, how do you know you’re getting too upset about something? What do you do to cool down?

I’ll start: my hot button is acting as if abuse victims are “broken” or dirty, and I can tell when I’m getting upset when I start treating it like an irl interaction. Usually at that point I take a walk outside or play video games to cool down and remind myself that the internet isn’t that important.

Edit: spelling fixes

When I'm not hard for longer than a minute. Clearly something has activated my almonds.

 

[Gym Leader Elesa]

What do you do to cool down?

EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM A VHS INTO THE SLOT. IT'S CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START DOING THE MOVES ALONGSIDE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER, RIDDICK. I DO EVERY MOVE AND I DO EVERY MOVE HARD. MAKIN WHOOSHING SOUNDS WHEN I SLAM DOWN SOME NECRO BASTARDS OR EVEN WHEN I MESS UP TECHNIQUE. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY ESCAPED THE GALAXYS MOST DANGEROUS PRISON. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY COLLEGE CLASS AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN COLLEGE CLASS CAN STILL BE IMMATURE JEKRS. AND IVE LEARNED ALL THE LINES AND IVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY APARTMENT LESS LONELY BY SHOUTING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING WIND DOWN EVERY MORNING. THEN I LIFT.

Helps me, fam.

 

[scared sheep]

EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND OPEN PALM SLAM A VHS INTO THE SLOT. IT'S CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK AND RIGHT THEN AND THERE I START DOING THE MOVES ALONGSIDE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER, RIDDICK. I DO EVERY MOVE AND I DO EVERY MOVE HARD. MAKIN WHOOSHING SOUNDS WHEN I SLAM DOWN SOME NECRO BASTARDS OR EVEN WHEN I MESS UP TECHNIQUE. NOT MANY CAN SAY THEY ESCAPED THE GALAXYS MOST DANGEROUS PRISON. I CAN. I SAY IT AND I SAY IT OUTLOUD EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN MY COLLEGE CLASS AND ALL THEY DO IS PROVE PEOPLE IN COLLEGE CLASS CAN STILL BE IMMATURE JEKRS. AND IVE LEARNED ALL THE LINES AND IVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MYSELF AND MY APARTMENT LESS LONELY BY SHOUTING EM ALL. 2 HOURS INCLUDING WIND DOWN EVERY MORNING. THEN I LIFT.

Relatable

 

[The Fool]

I get mad when people start shit talking Incels. Just because we're ugly and can't get a date doesn't mean you get to say you're better than us, fucking normies.

 

[Cato]

Relevant quote from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius:

"It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own."

 

[RG 448]

What do you do to cool down?

I shake a bin full of aluminum cans.

 

[Doc Cassidy]

Just avoid threads you don't like.

 

[Kiwi Jeff]

I can't remember if anything here has ever made me upset, but usually if I do get upset about anything irl, I just take a nap.

 

[Coconut Gun]

I just say "3, 2, 1. 1, 2, 3. What the heck is bothering me?"

 

[Curt Sibling]

You have to just step back and laugh at it all.

 

[diana]

my hot button is acting as if abuse victims are “broken” or dirty, and I can tell when I’m getting upset when I start treating it like an irl interaction.

I start to get triggered when my friends start dogging on me really hard in discord. Like if they are moving me out of the channel or insulting me a lot I start to get upset. I can take it most of the time and find it funny but sometimes I'm not in the mood. I usually will mute or leave and just cry for a bit, sounds stupid but crying helps me feel better, it's why we do it.

The other thing that gets me is when people make claims about mental illness and they have no clue what they're talking about. I'm good at presenting myself as an educator but some people just absolutely blow that shit out of the park. In that case I just go and bitch to my best friend about it and maybe take a drive around town.

 

[scared sheep]

Just avoid threads you don't like.

This is really the best advice I could give any new member.

I can't remember if anything here has ever made me upset, but usually if I do get upset about anything irl, I just take a nap.

Naps are good! Do you like to nap on couches or in bed?

You have to just step back and laugh at it all.

The best reaction.

 

[Kiwi Jeff]

Naps are good! Do you like to nap on couches or in bed?

Both

 

[TwinkleSnort]

It's rare for anything on the internet to truly irritate me, but it's been known to happen. The first thing I do is click "X" at the top right of the page, and then maybe go watch something on Netflix or head over to the Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk to catch up on all the latest scandal and drama.

TL;DR

I distract myself on another website for a while.

 

[Nekromantik]

Taking a walk does wonders to clear one's mind.

 

[JB 236]

I don't think there has ever been a moment that I legit got mad enough to leave the computer.
I mean, if I dislike something I just turn that shit off or close the window unless I really disagree with it enough to want to probe the situation some more to turn it for laughs or I get curious about something. That and sharing my thoughts because I am such an important fucking person. There just seems to be a line which people keep crossing that they should not, getting too emotional about words or shit that does not directly impact you in any way especially when its about the degeneration of some fucking idiot who can't stop fucking himself with a toilet plunger or whatever. Just detach yourself emotionally and stop being weak.

The maximum salt I have ever had was in World of Warcraft many fucking years ago after like 36 hours of staying awake, when some cunt just wrecked a raid because he did not get a fucking pixel for his stupid cunting character which led to people arguing for no real reason and me getting guild kicked for abusing 'officers' or whatever shit they call themselves. That pretty much led me to involuntarily leave the computer due to mad.

 

[0 0]

The most important thing, I feel, is if you're arguing with somebody and getting too emotionally invested, or just getting too emotional about anything, make sure you end it in a way that gives closure. Apologize, admit you're wrong, or just agree to disagree, but don't give some "last laugh" kind of phrase. Just give it some kind of proper ending and walk away, because otherwise it'll be stuck in the back of your head for quite some time (which it will anyways, but that feeling goes away sooner if it has any kind of closure).

After that you have to take your mind off of it. That doesn't mean ignore it, though. If you start getting bothered, vent to a friend or take that anxiety and transform it into something productive, like writing a story or drawing art based around how you feel. When you learn how to make negatives in your life work for you and give you motivation, then you'll start seeing a lot more success.

Of course, this is only for pretty severe topics, which I don't experience very often on the internet, if at all. I'd like to think I've never gotten heated over a very petty internet argument but I'd treat it the same way. Use any negative emotion I'm feeling as motivation or inspiration for something.

 

[WW 635]

I'm low empathy with a short attention span. I'll just forget in like a second and a

 

[HG 400]

chances are, something on the internet has emotionally affected you

Nope.