I'd like to take a moment to talk about Essentialism.
In the simplest terms possible, Essentialism says that everything has a core aspect. An essence. It argues that a person's essence determines their behavior. It says a person did not simply steal, they are a thief.
Essentialism is problematic because it oversimplifies complex human behavior and reduces individuals to one-dimensional caricatures. It becomes a tool for fascism, breaking down nuanced understandings and fueling bigotry.
For example, if someone has had a negative experience with a person named Matt, it's tempting to attribute that experience to some inherent "Matt-ness" rather than considering the individual circumstances that led to the conflict.
Essentialism also aligns conveniently with ideas of criminality and punishment, perpetuating the notion that certain individuals inherently deserve harsh treatment. This perspective ignores the systemic factors that often contribute to criminal behavior, such as poverty and lack of opportunity.
In reality, the criminal justice system frequently creates crime by perpetuating cycles of poverty and discrimination. The notion that we can eradicate crime by simply getting rid of criminals is a dangerous and ineffective oversimplification.
Tumblr, in particular, has struggled to address dogpiles, which are often policed by punishing the accounts that initiate them. This approach, however, fails to address the underlying issues of large follower counts and a lack of effective moderation tools.
Even the CEO of Tumblr, amidst succumbing to the process that turns one harassment into another, had a brief moment of lucidity, realizing that the tools available to the user do not empower them to manage this mob cascade.
