Stan Twitter and Manipulation Tactics
I’ve been planning to write this for a while now but with the incidents increasing, I finally got around to it. For as long as I’ve been on ‘Stan Twitter’, there has consistently been an upward increase in misinformation spreading. Information exchange, as is on par with social media norms, is happening at lightning speeds. New topics are created and go viral every hour. There is just so much happening in our sphere that we have to step back and look at this a little critically and logically. I wanted to write this not only as a space to put forth my thoughts, but as a way of emphasizing on the actions that, without fail, happen every time.
Since this is based on my experience, it will solely be regarding ARMY twitter. That is not to say it doesn’t happen elsewhere but due to the sheer size and diversity of the fandom, it has a wider reach and harsher consequences.
Edit: I was planning on writing this only about the misinformation spread about the boys but due to this day being what it is, it will also delve into different incidents. A short disclaimer that this is purely based on my observations.
1. A Viral Tweet
How does this happen? It’s simple. It starts with a classic first line. This is something that is structured to be something that is snappy and manipulative. It is designed to not only get your attention but pre-empt guilt in you. For example:
It’s done. Simple. By saying that ARMY owe some member an apology, they are already inciting a feeling of guilt in you. You definitely don’t hate the member. You’re OT7. How do you prove that you respect that member? And then you share it.(I have seen these for all members, these were the only ones I could find again)
The conversation already starts with guilt. This isn’t factual. And additionally, who is ARMY? There are almost 30 million of us. The collective blame game has already put the information on an uneven footing. You end up sharing the thread and contribute to it viral nature.
Look at how these are phrased. They employ classic emotional manipulation tactics. This implies that the incident has taken place and the deed is done and factual. The onus comes on the reader i.e. ARMY to either support the thread and by consequence the person, or refuse. In the case you refuse, by the inherent wording of the tweet ‘you owe x member an apology’ , your refusal is taken as a sign that you don’t support that member.
Within all these threads you will see a lot of screen shots or translated posts that are provided to the reader. These will most likely be provided without context to support the statement that ARMY have somehow wronged a member. Let’s get it right. This is not true. The information presented to you will most definitely be out of context.
And of course the mistreatment threads. I have several posts on this but all I will say is that the members are adults with more access and financial aid than most of us know. They know what is best for them. As an audience, we don’t have the right to make demands of them or assume anything. Trust them. Don’t speak over them. Definitely do not fall for threads that try to persuade you otherwise.
2. Exposé threads
We’ve all been there. We have all read or seen one of these. It started as a way to bring justice and attention to any negative actions by celebrities but has become a normal part of stan twitter. You no longer need to have celebrity status to be cancelled or exposed. It can happen to anyone. In ARMY twitter it will be along the line of :
The stage is set. The claim is made that a person is an anti. This will be followed by a load of claims. I’m not here to sit and disprove those. Plenty of people, with a better control have made so many of those. I want you to think. What constitutes an anti? What does that mean?
A lot of these threads will try to convince you that a missed photo of a member or stating their own opinion makes them an anti. Consider this. We are all human. We can’t all have the same thoughts. We all make mistakes. But does that directly translate to being an anti?
A general rule of thumb is that unless some one is very directly insulting, demeaning or harassing a member, they don’t need an expose thread. And in a more general setting, this applies to any racist, sexist or homophobic claims. Another person’s opinion or tweet claiming this is not a fact.
If this is not acceptable, it’s very easy to just block that person. What is not acceptable is harassing that person.
These were all comments on a person’s post after they were harassed to the point of deactivation. Today. Does mental health not matter? Is that only something that you say for clout? Why were you following them or why haven’t you blocked them if you don’t agree with them? While Twitter is a space for communities, it is primarily a place for yourself. If you don’t agree with something, unfollow or block. There is no need for a hue and cry unless there is actual issue. This brings me to my next point, tagging and pushing others to unfollow a person.
3. Unfollow threads
How many of us have been tagged in a post like the one above? What is the reaction? By abstracting the information, as someone tagged, all you get is that someone has done something wrong. You aren’t given the full information but rather a blanket statement. Most likely you’ve been tagged by a mutual. Of course you trust them right? They are your friend, an ARMY too. Along with a public tagging or a threat as above, most of us are inclined to listen for fear of being called an anti too. This is either based on an internal fear of going against public opinion, in this case unfollowing a person, or because of an implicit trust in the person who tagged you. And then you tag someone else. The cycle continues. The original creator of the expose thread has got what they wanted.
How do we break this cycle? What should you do?
- Do your research.
You see a screenshot or a tweet. Don’t immediately retweet it. Go on YouTube or Google to find where the screenshot is from. Watch the entire video or in the case of a tweet, verify the source. A tweet or even a screenshot of a comment from any member is NOT proof. For the expose threads asking you to unfollow an account, think about why that is happening. What does one gain from being an anti. Are they actually an anti? Have they ever explicitly and directly done negative something to get that tag? Don’t take threads or tweets as gospel. Check the source. Question everything you are told.
2. Be critical of the content.
You have been presented with something in the form of a thread or a screenshot. You’ve been told that this is a fact. Step back. Reassess the information. Why would someone openly hate a member and pretend not to? Who gains from you unfollowing or beginning to harass that person? Or, why would a company hate or not treat its own artists well? What would the end goal of that be? Why would fans not treat their favourite artists equally?
For all these questions, the answer lies in who wins if you add to these trends. Most likely it will either be an anti or a solo stan. And there you have it. You might be an ARMY, you might be OT7, but your lack of questioning this motive and following this and adding to this collective commentary out of fear of being ‘cancelled’ yourself or being targeted or even being guilted to think that way has made you a part of the problem.
3. Make your own decisions.
Don’t give in or start tagging others to unfollow someone. Unless there is absolute and indisputable proof that their actions have actively harmed anyone, you can choose to do it by yourself. By subscribing to these trends of tagging each other all you are doing is bandwagoning hate. You are contributing to someone being harassed and targetted, to being bullied. If someone offends you but hasn’t done something wrong, just simply unfollow and block them. Don’t send hate because others are doing the same. Stop falling into peer pressure.
4. Block, mute, report.
Lastly, make sure no antis or solos even end up on your feed. Be smart about who you follow. Make sure they cannot manipulate you. And don’t be manipulated by what you see. Block unwanted people from your feed.
Reiterating. Tweets are not tangible proof. Always check the source. Be empathetic in your actions.
Above all, be a good and kind human being. As ARMYs we need to stop this toxicity seeping in. We don’t need this drama. You don’t need to share that negative post.Don’t become a part of this. And if you do, hold yourself accountable and learn to do better. Today’s incident wasn’t one extreme action by a subset, but fueled by your contribution to this too.If you shared that post, or participated in trending that topic, or even retweeted it, you were a part of it. A different degree sure, but it still added to this issue. Accept and acknowledge this so we can move on and make tomorrow better.
Let’s for once decide to abide by this so that different individuals can coexist in this space without being branded something they are not. Without any assumptions about the group and the members and the company. Toxicity spreads fast but keep in mind that you are still talking about another human at the end of the day. Respect the boys and each other. Re- prioritise and refocus on why we are here. To enjoy and build a diverse community of individuals with different thoughts, but who, at the end of the day, share the same love for the same artist. 💜
