NEW YORK — Leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway.
They referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people” and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.
I’d love to say this surprises me, but it does not in the slightest.
I used to be an internet edgelord, until I recognized that it doesn’t matter if you aren’t actually a bigot when you act like one online. The impact is the same, it makes the real ones feel more comfortable in their views.
I also came to this realization around age 16, and it sounds like these guys are in college…
One thing that snapped me out of that phase was a psychology professor saying your actions define what you are.
I don’t think there are as many edgelords anymore anyways. Since the Trump MAGA era nobody pretends. It’s all out in the open now. You either are or you aren’t. Nobody hides behind the “it’s just a joke bro” stuff like in the older internet eras. The bigots aren’t hiding their power level anymore.
Same story for me as well and changed around the same age. It’s all fun and games until you realize most of these guys are not in on the joke.