Has the internet brought the ‘Age of Rage’ to your online expat group?

Published April 3rd, 2022

It starts with an innocent question asked in an expat forum or Facebook group: is there a dry cleaner in town? Where can I find tofu? How much is a taxi to the airport?

Instead of helpful answers, what often follows is a harsh volley of sarcastic or cruel remarks, insults and abusive comments. Before you know it, the original question is drowned out by a thread of slurs, attacks and name-calling.

“I’ll be chatting on a Oaxaca group about something, and suddenly what I’ve said gets twisted out of context, or becomes an excuse for someone (maybe many people) to rant. Most often it’s folks who don’t live in Oaxaca, who may not even exist, who are roaming around the internet trying to rile people up. Actual real-life Oaxaca is a friendly city.”