“It’s not that deep”
is an extremely common phrase uttered by people of most demographics, old people, young people, all genders, sexualities and more. But the one consistency with this phrase, no matter who it’s uttered by, is if someone is speaking about an activity they enjoy, if someone is discussing a real issue affecting people, no matter the topic, if someone is passionate about something and they hear the phrase “it’s not that deep,” it is either one of the most disappointing things you can hear or the most infuriating thing you can hear. I choose the second option, myself.
But why? Why do I let this obvious “rage-bait” get me so riled up? Why do people feel sad when they’re told this? Because it is one of the most invalidating things you could say to someone being passionate about a topic. Not just because it’s rude, but because it’s a full dismissal of someone and their ideas, which they clearly identify with on a personal level. But it’s not only a dismissal of passion but of information.
When someone discusses a real issue plaguing a community or a problematic behavior pattern that could evolve into something worse (i.e. a pipeline of some sort) and someone says “it’s not that deep” or “you’re reading into it too much,” this plays into a belief system labeled “anti-intellectualism.” This mindset is the base idea of dismissing any form of higher thought with an intent to just be content with what’s told to them; “Ignorance is bliss” taken literally.
The idea of intentionally ignoring or blocking out information that generally makes you unhappy is downright, (excuse my informality) one of the dumbest, intentionally ignorant and moronic things I’ve ever heard about or experienced.
The entire joke of “that friend who’s too woke” being a relatable sentiment is a telltale sign that anti-intellectualism is becoming more and more common with the social media age as people try to enjoy themselves without confronting the real issue with the things they find comforting; convenience over ethics.
Temu, Amazon, and Shein are mostly used as prime examples of unethical but convinent methods of shopping, Streaming has been shown to barely pay artists as fairly as they should be and certain jokes have limits to how they’re said, what they really mean and their origins. There are alternatives, you don’t have to choose any these options. But people have been so conditioned to not care about these things that they don’t view any of these examples as real issues.
That general apathy towards the general ethics of things is one of the biggest things holding communities back. Black people giving “n-word passes,” younger generations stealing and using slang formed from marginalized communities and convenient shopping methods are all things that are all too common nowadays but if you bring up any of the obvious flaws with these things, people dismiss it. They ignore your criticisms. They want to enjoy things regardless of their flaws.
Convenience over ethics.