1. That’s what I’m saying. So-called “virtue signaling” appears strongest online, where it is least relevant, large pseudo-anonymous shout boxes like twitter an

1. That’s what I’m saying. So-called “virtue signaling” appears strongest online, where it is least relevant, large pseudo-anonymous shout boxes like twitter and FB comments and news article comments. As you mention, most people need group identity. If I have group identity with leftists or whatever then of course I’m going to assert their values even on twitter where nobody is reading my tweets because I’m not famous. So it’s not virtue signaling to a nonexistent reader, it’s asserting a genuinely held belief (vis a vis their believed “membership” as a leftist). By the virtue signaling thesis, you should see “signaling” most commonly in-person, over email, over text, etc. after all, if virtue signaling isn’t done with your identity, to others who know you, then it’s accomplishing nothing. my lived experience is exactly the opposite of the virtue signaling thesis, with the exception of corporations (“pride” ads and such, marketing built to signal to popular sentiment) 2. Sorry I really have no idea. As a person in the younger generation without faith, I wasn’t raised going to church, so I can’t really relate. For me there is no “replaced” valued; faith was never present