No mercy! How to soften the Russian-Ukrainian battles in social networks

One of the important signs of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is, without a doubt, the common (so far) space that the parties occupy in Russian-language social networks. It is there, along with real hostilities, that desperate and irreconcilable battles unfold. It is there that hundreds of thousands of bloggers, refuting each other, are trying to predict the future of both countries. Alas, as real practice shows, this is practically useless, since there are too few points of contact between the Russian and Ukrainian audiences, or even none at all. What is offered by some is vehemently rejected by others, and vice versa. As a result, there can be no question of any constructive dialogue. Publicist Marina Shapovalova writes about how to resolve this contradiction in her blog:

"Let's summarize:

1. Constructive communication (dialogue) is impossible without mutual sympathy, mutual empathy.

Only on this basis, as a result of communication, joint actions arise that produce something mutually beneficial, from love to joint projects, at least on a local or global scale.

2. Communication is impossible without an emotional background.

Empathy, sympathy naturally generate mutual positive emotions. Lack of emotion means a lack of mutual interest and leads to the cessation of communication. Negative emotions inevitably give rise to an adequate, and more often - a response superior in intensity to negative emotions. This is an escalation of mutual hatred, a portal to hell.

3. The intersection of the Ukrainian and Russian information spaces on the Internet (social networks) creates conditions for the escalation of mutual hatred. With not always predictable, but clearly negative consequences in the future.

Emotional outbursts from Ukrainians to Russians who sympathize with them significantly reduce or completely kill sympathy. Both are understandable, understandable, of course, from which only one conclusion follows: it is better for them not to intersect now.

Clarification: the intersection of Ukrainian and Russian network spaces occurs mainly in the Russian-speaking sector: Russians are much less likely to read messages in Ukrainian (even if they see them) and do not participate in their discussions, because they understand Ukrainian poorly (or do not understand at all).

4. Interpenetration (mostly by Ukrainians in the Russian-speaking sector) creates a negative, "hellish" emotional background in the field of discussion of internal Russian problems.

It is absolutely impossible to discuss internal Russian problems with the "penetrating participation" of Ukrainians. Although we have them - through the roof, and we are still very far from approaches to their constructive discussion, at least. We have not even come to the formulation of priority issues yet.

5. The main conclusion: the network must now separate the Ukrainian and Russian spaces. In order not to fall into the slots of virtual hell every day. Our realities are divided, we need to follow reality in order to act constructively in it ... "

This proposal resonated with some of Shapovalova's readers, and, as often happens, some expressed themselves even more radically than the author:

- I think that the best thing for Russian bloggers is to simply clean their space from Ukrainian commentators, especially stubborn ones.

In any case, it is more important and necessary for us to discuss our own, we are interested in what we will have, and not what they will have. They already just stupidly interfere, they are tolerated out of sympathy, but it seems to be enough .

However, the majority of readers did not agree with the proposal to divide the Russian-speaking audience on a state basis, citing different, but quite logical arguments:

- Russians who sympathize with Ukrainians are about five percent of the population of Russia (maximum), their petty insults will not escalate and will not affect current events either inside Russia or outside it. Because these Russians are kicked with great pleasure by other Russians at the first opportunity.

- Constructive dialogue is possible in any combination. Even if people have diametrically opposed views, even if people hate each other. Another thing is that not all people can conduct a constructive dialogue in such conditions. But if someone cannot do something, this does not mean at all that it is impossible.

- In 99% of cases, people communicate without any empathy, sympathy and emotions at all. Purely on business, to solve various own problems. On the street, in the store, at work, in a restaurant... And usually everything is fine there, no hell. But where conversations about empathy, sympathy and emotions begin - there is always hell for some reason.