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  • JustinHanagan@kbin.socialOP
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    1 year ago

    Absolutely. The essay does actually address that towards the end:

    There’s no shame in turning to the internet for supplementing socialization when doing it “better” isn’t feasible. It’s easy to imagine situations where someone might not have access to a community that keeps them sane. A gay teenager stuck in rural Alabama. A woman born into a controlled religious society. A New York sports fan in Boston. Some days in life, the best we can hope for is making it until tomorrow in one piece.

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Having been the gay teenager in a rural southern town, I can absolutely affirm that being able to connect with other gay guys online was massively helpful to me.

      At the same time, now that I’m in a much better place, I can also affirm how much worse it is than actual real-life connection with a real community, and I do think that that’s something that’s quite a lot harder to access nowadays since so much social activity has shifted online.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      A gay teenager stuck in rural Alabama. A woman born into a controlled religious society. A New York sports fan in Boston.

      One of these things is not like the other, unless Boston is killing New York fans regularly. (Which wouldn’t surprise me. My sister’s a Red Sox fan.)

      • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Quite true. I interpreted that as an intentional introduction of a slight amount of levity, because the topic was so dark and saddening. As usual with humor, it was not intended to be taken in earnest. I do not believe the author thinks sports rivalries are as egregious as the other two.

      • JustinHanagan@kbin.socialOP
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        1 year ago

        I personally wouldn’t judge any Yankees fan living in Boston who chooses to remain closeted about their allegiances and only discusses sports online.