In an Era Where Hate Has Become a Game, Let's Be the 'Drying Sister-in-Law'

A recent event by Starbucks Korea on the anniversary of the May 18th Democratization Movement has ignited public fury, with many perceiving it as a direct insult to the historical event. While police are investigating whether the company intended to disrespect the movement, the incident has exposed a darker reality: hate speech has become a pervasive and even playful element in society. This normalization of hateful content, often spread through memes, has seeped into everyday life. The controversy escalated when a "purchase verification" game related to Starbucks emerged, further illustrating how animosity has been turned into a form of entertainment. The article questions how society arrived at a point where hate is treated as a game. It references a 2017 study published in 'Political Behavior' where researchers responded to racist remarks on Twitter. They found that hate speech decreased only when the critique came from white men with a large number of followers, suggesting that the impact of calling out hate speech is heavily dependent on the perceived authority and identity of the commenter.

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Remember that the person you are harassing with such words is also a real person who is hurt.