Canadian Politics Today

Before the internet, ordinary people didn't have to face this kind of scrutiny. 

 -k

Before the internet I was married and living in a townhouse complex.  My husband left, and I lived there alone.  One night I had 3 friends over, we played cards till around 1 in the morning.   Another night, I was cleaning late at night and noticed a car driving around the complex several times.  It was weird, so I called the cops, the cops came to talk to them and then to me.  A couple of weeks later, I was given notice because the neighbors wete complaining that I was having such wild parties, the police had to be called.  Even though I explained both circumstances  the property manager was adamant that I had to leave.

I moved to a very small town in Northern BC.  I was single, I went out dancing a lot and I had sex rather freely.  I worked as a server at a couple of places, but then I wasn't able to get a job when the second one ended.  Came to find out I had a "reputation", so my job prospects became nonexistent.

Now, I get that the internet is new and the issue of people ganging up on someone they perceive as "misbehaving" is certainly more visible, but its not "new" by any means.  I am an ordinary person who faced intense scrutiny, to the point I lost a place to live and couldn't get a job - well before the internet.  My "crime" was basically being single in the first case  and being sexually active in the second case
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You didn't have this permanent digital trail available for strangers to peruse over to decide what kind of person you are.

I agree that this is new for ordinary people; less so for people who've spent time in the public eye.   Internet makes the spreading of past and current "sins" a lot easier and technology today makes creating lies possible in a way it wasn't previously.

It seems to me the behaviour you are railing against is normal human behaviour and was pretty common prior to the internet.  The internet has definitely amplified it, that is easy to see.

I think this is a process and that over time a balance will be found.  In terms of misinformation, things are beginning to change with both FB and Twitter making moves to reduce its spread.  Perhaps the mobbing up and targetting of individuals will become the next behavior online platforms will address. 

Of course, this does take people like you objecting to it so strongly to drive that change, whereas people like me - basically ignoring it - are not helpful in that regard.

40 years ago, being a single female was suspect enough to get you evicted, and being female and sexually active was enough to impact employment opportunities.  I don't think that is true anymore, even in small town BC.  Perhaps 40 years from now  we'll see an entirely different "social media" experience.   (Well not me, more likely you.)  And it'll be due to people who cared enough to fight for it, so good on you.

I know, this post is a bit rambly, sorry about that.