Internet Argumentation: A Look Into Online “Constructed Controversy”

Of course you’re always right, you started it after all! Dissecting internet argumentation with examples of neopronouns, Hasan Piker’s political debates, and “my fav oustreams ur fav”

“You walk like a bitch, when I was 10 someone said that”
- Lorde on Girl, so confusing featuring lorde

Charlie Kirk and Hasan Piker duking it out at Politicon 2018

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Arguing with people online has become so exhausting. And I’m not saying that from some “angry leftie” perspective. To many, arguing is pretty much only “fun” if you’re right. Well, at least if you think you’re right. As a longtime recipient of the “you would be such a great lawyer” comment¹, it’s not hard to imagine why. People get more impassioned when they believe they’re right, but eventually one becomes so focused on their own argument that the other side’s becomes irrelevant. 

It seems that online, these passions only get exacerbated, with humanity getting put on the backburner and “constructed controversies” created.

rayne fisher-quann

may not have been the originator, but she brings up the concept of constructed controversy, a meaningless problem created and inflated, and the moral panic around neopronouns in a 2022 TikTok. Essentially, neopronouns (pronouns outside of she/he/they, think ey/em, ze/zir, etc) have become a “necessary political position” of sorts, to even leftists, when in fact they will “never materially affect you or anyone you know in a negative or a positive way.”

The algorithm simply boosts and makes it appear as if all of a sudden, a ginormous wave of queer people are using neopronouns and “making the queer community less legitimate.” In circumstances like neopronouns which can become highly debatable, many are susceptible to the semantics and blowing out of proportion what ends up not having merit or measurable impact. 

Much like an actual debate, dissection only occurs when it can be twisted to maintain one’s position. Politically, conversations between opposing sides (or even within the same “general” political school of thought), have always been dicey, extremely personalized. 

In my mind, there’s two sides of the spectrum, which happen to be on opposite sides of the political spectrum itself: Hasan Piker² and Charlie Kirk. In a recent encounter with a chatter during his Twitch stream, Piker slowly breaks through the issues the chatter has with immigration, acknowledging the concerns much as he debunks them (unsurprisingly, it’s racism underneath it all). On the other hand, Charlie Kirk, debated 25 liberal college students in a Jubilee video, constantly cutting off all voices and interrupting a student repeatedly telling him that she’s still talking. Only the Piker was actually effective in getting his point across.

linked here

Additionally, stan culture loves to defend their favorites no matter what, and that’s coming from someone who survived being on Twitter from 2020-2022. The majority of it is bait, but under every single @PopCrave update, some extreme fans of all artists seemingly take it personally. Whether that be Billie Eillish becoming the most monthly streamed artist on Spotify globally or Taylor Swift winning a VMA, it’s almost an instinct to immediately go “well, X oustreams Y,” continuing an intense cycle of subjectivity. 

you tell them!

That is all to say, I do not critique the act of debate itself, it’s extremely important and necessary to convey ideas and change minds, even if it’s a difficult thing to do. However, at some point, you simply can’t waste others as well as your own time on a stance neither of you are willing to back down from. It gets a little embarrassing even, seeing people unnecessarily argue in comment sections knowing damn well nothing’s going to change except they will both be 100x more frustrated. At some point, you have to move on and scroll, and, as the kids say, “the world kept spinning.”

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Thank you so much for reading!! As always, here is the article playlist, can you tell I haven’t been over brat summer this entire article? 

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All my love,
Alaїa

1. Well, they are right… ( ← current legal intern and varsity mock trial captain)

2. I’m about to go on and praise him, don’t get me wrong, I like and watch him all the time, but I would like to say I don’t believe exactly everything he stands for, mainly because he’s so sensationalist but also because that man needs to deeply be humbled