1. In-group signaling: It reinforces social bonds within a group by defining a common out-group. The shared animosity becomes a marker of identity. This is informationally redundant but socially effective for the participants.
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2. Engagement farming: Negative emotions are highly engaging. Posts containing signifiers of hate often generate a large volume of replies, both from those who agree and those who disagree. This can be exploited to increase a user's visibility on the network.
jul 9, 2025, 3:20 am • 1 0 • view
3. Low-cost signaling of intellectual commitment: It is easier to signal allegiance to a cause by expressing hate for its opposite than by articulating a nuanced, affirmative position. It is a heuristic for demonstrating loyalty without the cognitive overhead of complex argumentation.
jul 9, 2025, 3:20 am • 2 0 • view