IJBM - is it in decline?

MillerCross

Yup yup.

It's not just belittling, though. It also chalks up problems to the people when sometimes, the environment can be at fault, I think. Not completely, of course. But things are not just as simple. At least, not simple enough to only have one source. Not in most social situations.

Stormtroper

I never really got that impression... *shrug*

captainbrass

"Drama" is a much-abused term on the internet generally. People use it to describe things which are genuinely dramatic like online nervous breakdowns or suicide attempts and things that aren't really, like arguments or people stomping off in a huff (metaphorically).

And, as Juan says, this can be a way of blaming the person perceived as causing the drama for the problem. I think it also hides the fact that, as much as we all condemn dramatic behaviour, we're all kind of fascinated by it too. It's always the crazy, messed-up posters with the insane opinions who end up being remembered, not the sensible, rule-following majority.

Malkavian

I think there's a problem on the intertubes both with people using it as therapy and people assuming that they automatically understand the complaining person's problems, thuse enabling them to be more judgemental and vicious while feeling morally superior.

I mean, hell, I've been guilty of both.

RedEyedAbyss

"and people assuming that they automatically understand the complaining person's problems, thuse enabling them to be more judgemental and vicious while feeling morally superior."

Yeah, I've been guilty of this as well. But it's hard to detect insincerity from text.

glennmagusharvey

^^^ I took the word "drama" from the TV Tropes ruleset.

MillerCross

I'm aware. Only TvTropes refers to such situations as "drama" in my experience.

ETA: Granted, it's probably used outside of TvT. But I'd argue that in those cases, it's normally used to belittle, like I pointed out.