The Resentment of Achievement: Hate Culture within Social Media.

Within the countless hours we as a collective generation have spent staring into our screens on apps such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, there is one thing we have all seen. Hate. Hate is a broad term, but within this context, hate is the disapproval, anger or loathing of someone or something. Hate is rampant amongst the comment sections of those in and out of the public eye. Year on year we see more and more comments from other people attempting to bring people down for doing the things they love. Whether its sport, business, writing, acting, gaming, hate is unfortunately a mainstay in the social media world, and it’s easy to see why:

Hate gets hits.

This isn’t conspiracy or opinion, it’s fact. Berkley University released a study showing negative comments, posts and videos gained double the likes that positive posts did. What does this mean? You and I see more and more negative content on our feeds, absorbing us into this world of negativity and anger at the business of other people. Consistent onslaughts of negative content everyday can only make people angrier and angrier, leading to a never ending cycle of negativity, rage and hatred.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” is a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt around 150 years ago, and it has never been more prevalent. Social media forces constant comparison to the 0.001% of people showing 0.001% of their lives. This undoubtedly breeds negativity. 

On 27th July this year the Lionesses won a historic back-to-back Euros title, triumphing over Spain in an epic final clash. Instant reaction? “Who cares?”. 

On 12th October 2019, Eliud Kipchoge completes one of the most sensational feats of athletic performance in running a sub 2-hour marathon. Reaction? “It wasn’t in a race”. 

These two examples highlight the quote perfectly. 99% of people will not run a sub 2-hour marathon or win the Euros, so instead some choose to denounce the achievements of others through the dangerous vehicle of social media. 

Ultimately this is human nature, a regressive trait rooted in all of us. We want to compare ourselves to others, and if they are doing something we can’t, excuses form, and anger grows. The resolution? Empathy. Hate is so deep-rooted into social media that little empathy can emerge from the concrete, but, being optimistic, being grateful for greatness can help to reverse the impact. 

We see Kipchoge running in the spotlight, not the 2 miles he had to run to school every morning. We see countless writers, artists, singers, athletes shine in their respective domains, but not the years of failure, mistakes, trial and error so that when these special people do rise, why bring them down? Why denounce all they have achieved and the joy they have brought to millions around them?

It may be a long shot, but if hate and negativity has managed to permeate into all our screens, why can’t positivity and joy do the same?

Archie looks after social media at 2macs and gives us all inspiration with his various sports pursuits. He is a great asset as he manages to fit this in whilst studying law at Liverpool University.

enquiries@2macs.com

This year Archie is running the Great North Run with his brother James and both are raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK, a cause close to the family heart. If you would like to support his run you can via this link

https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/archie-macnaughton