To be "terminally-online" is to be deeply engaged on social media, consuming YouTube creator-driven drama, or spending a significant amount of one's free time doing online activities. Personal interests are focused on some form of digital activities such as online communities, streaming, gaming, YouTube/podcasts, and/or frequently checking in on the 24 hour news cycle. This hyper-immersed lifestyle significantly warps your perspective of the world, shifting priorities based on what someone who you've never met said.
They regurgitate quotes they heard from some YouTube "influencer" or obscure podcaster. The type of content being consumed is usually under the guise of "life advice" from an "alpha male" pushing shitty supplements. In reality it's just some dude who hasn't done much with his life saying things like "women ain't shit" to drive engagement. These particular sentiments especially resonate with males who can't form connections with women because they have unresolved emotional issues but blame women instead of looking inward. Communities that form around these online personalities may promote themselves as "support" communities but are really a misogynistic circle jerk of incels. I don't mean to be picking on incels in particular, but they're currently the most undeniable example of being terminally online.
I've also noticed that they do not seem to be outraged about what they are actually seeing going on in the world. They are outraged by what their favorite online personalities see, and it's usually their primary source of new information. They get their information on current events through the lens of some random podcast host rather than a professional journalist. Their world is filtered through this online personality. Because of YouTube and social media algorithms, they're fed more and more of the same type of content, which feeds them similar messaging that reinforce their beliefs. What's interesting is how their opinions are the "correct" opinions and not actually biased, but anyone who disagrees with them are the ones that are being manipulated by censorship and social media algorithms. The information they receive is gospel, straight for God's ass, and boy is it important to stay up-to-date on whatever the latest nonsense is. I've had people in my life that assume I live under a rock and don't know what's going on in the world or current events since I'm not on social media.
Life offline is lacking. No sense of community, no fulfillment, little to no meaningful relationships, and loneliness. Parasocial relationships are formed with the online personality, providing an artificial one-way emotional connection. The personality is perceived by the viewer as a friend, and it feels like a real friendship because you see them in a personal setting and you're regularly engaging with them. Parasocial relationships are intensified due to trust and self-disclosure provided by the online persona. Once this relationship is established, it's easy to adopt the personality's opinions and biases without evaluating them critically.
Since their personal lives may be lacking in many ways, their sense of identity can be strongly affected or straight up derived from online communities and digital content. Social identity theory explains how individuals define themselves based on their group memberships. There's nothing inherently wrong with this since it's a human characteristic, but it becomes problematic when your race, religion, or political party becomes an integral and most important part of your identity. Once you associate your identity with a group an online personality, you're not only narrowing your worldview, you tend to over-personalize any sort of disagreement. A critique of a political figure or media personality might feel like a personal attack, leading them to become defensive or even hostile.
Being terminally online leads to a lot of toxic behavior. And it's not just the "life advice" bros, it's also other political entertainment masquerading as "news" and "independent journalism". Personally, I really don't care where someone stands politically, but if you're so wrapped up in left/right ideology that can't simply exist in the same physical space as someone you don't agree with politically, you need to reassess what's important in your life. Also, if you can't just sit and have a conversation with someone without immediately bringing up whatever the latest political drama is, it's time to get a hobby or read a book.
I think there's varying degrees, but ultimately don't be a terminally online person. We're all guilty of spending far too much time online to some degree or another, but it's important self-monitor and recognize that behavior so you can change it. I get that it's great to make connections with people online, but letting it become a major factor in your life is not just bad for your mental health. And quite honestly it makes you a boring person. If digital content is the only thing that you consume, takes up a lot of mental real estate, and is one of the few things you can or want to talk about with your friends, you need to get a fucking hobby that gets you away from a screen.
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