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Hey, please don't use phrasing like '... infected with ... autism'. First of all, autism isn't an infection, and second it dehumanises people with autism when y

Hey, please don't use phrasing like '... infected with ... autism'. First of all, autism isn't an infection, and second it dehumanises people with autism when you associate them with negative connotations like not being aware of human feelings and 'infecting' others. They are people too, don't dump on them.

gruez 9y ago
>First of all, autism isn't an infection it's being used as a rhetorical device. the implication here is that although autism isn't actually being spread per se, the environment at facebook (caused by profit motive or otherwise) causes "tone death and oblivious to basic human behavior and feelings". >second it dehumanises people with autism when you associate them with negative connotations like not being aware of human feelings im aware that autism exists on a spectrum, and there are high functioning autists, but isn't that at generally true?
- yawaramin 9y ago
  For some people on the spectrum, yes, but you have to realise it's a severely frustrating experience for them as well because they have feelings and want to make human connections too. So it's not helpful to paint them as being oblivious. As I said, it's dehumanising. They deserve dignity and that includes being aware of the language we use about them.
- scott_s 9y ago
  That it's being used as a rhetorical device is immaterial. It's still dehumanizing. And no, people on the autistic spectrum are fully aware of human feelings. But people on the autistic spectrum typically have difficulty reading other people's emotions.
- duskwuff 9y ago
  > it's being used as a rhetorical device And it's an ugly, demeaning rhetorical device which insults a large group of people, some of whom are users of this site. (Not that it'd be any more acceptable if they weren't present.) Find another way of expressing yourself.
- Mithaldu 9y ago
  Pretend he wrote instead: "... infected with ... <your_country>ism ..."
- nl 9y ago
  It's being used as a rhetorical device. That's actually worse. It's like when "that's gay" used to be used as an insult. To quote one much more eloquent than me: Gay is synonymous with the lesser
deleted 9y ago
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gruez 9y ago

>First of all, autism isn't an infection it's being used as a rhetorical device. the implication here is that although autism isn't actually being spread per se, the environment at facebook (caused by profit motive or otherwise) causes "tone death and oblivious to basic human behavior and feelings". >second it dehumanises people with autism when you associate them with negative connotations like not being aware of human feelings im aware that autism exists on a spectrum, and there are high functioning autists, but isn't that at generally true?

yawaramin 9y ago
For some people on the spectrum, yes, but you have to realise it's a severely frustrating experience for them as well because they have feelings and want to make human connections too. So it's not helpful to paint them as being oblivious. As I said, it's dehumanising. They deserve dignity and that includes being aware of the language we use about them.
scott_s 9y ago
That it's being used as a rhetorical device is immaterial. It's still dehumanizing. And no, people on the autistic spectrum are fully aware of human feelings. But people on the autistic spectrum typically have difficulty reading other people's emotions.
duskwuff 9y ago
> it's being used as a rhetorical device And it's an ugly, demeaning rhetorical device which insults a large group of people, some of whom are users of this site. (Not that it'd be any more acceptable if they weren't present.) Find another way of expressing yourself.
Mithaldu 9y ago
Pretend he wrote instead: "... infected with ... <your_country>ism ..."
nl 9y ago
It's being used as a rhetorical device. That's actually worse. It's like when "that's gay" used to be used as an insult. To quote one much more eloquent than me: Gay is synonymous with the lesser

deleted 9y ago

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