Controversy levels in subjects and content

[Alolan_Apples]

I can be philosophical to come up with stuff for society. Today, I am here to discuss the five levels of controversy of all subjects. We try to have nice discussions online, but when they get heated, it becomes a problem. The question is, how long does it take for a subject to become heated.

Controversy is a bad thing. Regardless of how civil you are and how tame a subject is, nothing can be controversy free. It even takes one bad apple to ruin the whole thing. However, there are some things that are naturally more controversial than others. The more controversial something is, the less likely it will be safe to talk about it online. You may want to sound civil, but there's always going to be uncivil people who aren't mature enough to handle the subject, no matter how old they are. Not to mention, but they can be a lost cause.

Here are the five levels of controversy and what counts under these levels.

Level 5 - Highly Controversial:

The first is the worst. These subjects are so controversial that they should either be forbidden or under careful watch when being discussed online. When you share your opinions under these categories, please state them in a civil manner. But that doesn't mean you aren't free from backlash, even if everyone around you is at least 18 or older. People will always be offended at little things, and it's best to not discuss them online.

If this level is down to two subjects, it will always be:

• Politics
• Religion

The first part, politics, is obvious that it would be at this level. It is very controversial. This includes sharing who you are supporting in an election, what your positions are on each issue, and any discussion about government and economics in general. Some issues, such as the environment and war, are less likely to invoke negative reactions out of other members, but are still Level 5 controversies since they count as politics. Other issues, such as abortion and racial issues, are very likely to cause drama, even when it's under serious control. So they are better off if left out or the debate. And of course, there are issues that are in the center, such as economy and gun control, that can lead to heated arguments, but are less likely to do so than the more extreme stuff.

The other one, religion, is also at this level. It's okay to tell us what beliefs you follow, but to actually fight over it is why it's high up there. It's already a problem because of holy wars in years past and religious intolerance.

Religion and politics aren't the only two subjects in this level. Here are the following that counts under this level in general:

• Hot news stories (such as the shooting of Harambe, the conflict in Ferguson, and the firing of Paula Deen). This is not only including today's issues, but also past issues within the current generation.
• Controversial lifestyles in today's world (i.e. Political Correctness, feminism, veganism).
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Obscene and/or offensive content
• Race (color/nationality/ethnicity) and issues relating to it.
• Sexual Orientation (i.e. LGBT) and issues relating to it.
• Wealth/class and issues relating to it.
• Gender and issues relating to it.

Basically, all of these issues are best if not discussed online or in public (especially if you're doing it for baiting purposes). These can easily offend or upset people, even the most thick-skinned people.

Level 4 - Very Controversial:

If we're going from the least to most controversial, this is when it's starting to get ugly. Like Level 5 subjects, this level can get out of control, and may need to be monitored or not discussed at all. Unlike Level 5 subjects, these are easier to discuss. This is mostly pop culture stuff that have been causing trouble.

Here are the following that counts under this level in general:

• Sports teams
• Celebrities and celebrity scandals
• Crime
• R-rated content in media
• Profanity

Level 3 - Pretty Controversial:

These subjects may not be as heavily opinionated as seen in Level 4 and Level 5, but these are still somewhat taboo subjects.

These are mostly local controversies and the more controversial forms of media and literature that don't fall under the higher categories. Most of these tend to fall under Level 2 if they are irrelevant to where you are. But if they are relevant, it can be Level 3.

Here is an example of what I mean by local controversies. We are on Bell Tree Forums. Any controversy relating to the site in general tends to land under Level 3. It may feel like Level 5, but it's not that significant. Examples of this are past drama incidents, current drama incidents, collectible craze, system abuses, and other community issues. Everywhere else, it's at Level 2. If you're bringing up controversies from other sites here on TBT, it's also Level 2.

Another part about the local controversies example. Bell Tree Forums is an Animal Crossing fansite. Animal Crossing-related controversies and heavily discussed aspects of Animal Crossing (which includes opinions) tend to fall under Level 3 on this site and other AC fansites. Those would be stuff like Club Tortimer, constantly-complained features, villager popularity, and cheating. All of this is Level 2 if it's on another site that isn't an AC fansite or AC community.

Basically, it's site issues to the site you're currently on, and controversies/opinionated content relating to the game or series the site revolves around on. So if you're on a Spongebob fansite, Spongebob-related controversies are at this level. If you're on a Cartoon Network fansite, controversies relating to the channel (such as CN going downhill) are at this level. Basically speaking, these subjects might get heated and would evolve into an escalating argument, or there would be more discussions complaining about it. As much as they are on-topic, the on-topic controversies are still negative.

This level also covers literature, film, video games, and TV shows that are widely controversial. This inlcudes the censorship of South Park, the Star Wars special edition edits, the banning of Harry Potter books, and Pokemon GO controversies.

Level 2 - Somewhat Safe:

I best explained what counts as Level 2 in the section above, but this is the point where things are no longer controversial. Granted, this does include controversies irrelevant to your site and what your site revolves around, but it also includes every aspect of film, tv shows, cartoons, video games, novels, comics, music, and anything pop-culture related that isn't even controversial. The only time these aspects are controversial is when you make it controversial. The only reason why they didn't make it as low as Level 1 is because of how people would easily fight over them. For 18-year olds and older, it's easy to discuss them without getting into a fight, but the younger ones (kids and teens) would fight over them pretty easily.

Since this is an Animal Crossing site, pretty much almost everything pop-culture related, as well as most parts of Animal Crossing like favorite furniture series and how to make Bells, would be safe, but still at Level 2. You may get along well, but chances are, there are going to be people who would still take offense. And if that happens, this is when it gets ridiculous.

Level 1 - Safe:

Last, and least, the subjects that are large and neutral. These are not even controversies. The only time they are controversial is when someone makes them controversial. But the subjects are broad.

This level contains the following:

• Food
• Colors
• Holidays
• Seasons
• Time
• Your past
• Your current interests
• Your future
• Hobbies

And that's all for today's entry. As someone who enjoys blogging, I prefer to avoid discussing what counts as Level 5 or Level 4. Yes, a person that talks about only Level 1 subjects can be boring, but if they only like discussing Level 5 subjects, then that's someone we want to avoid. I can discuss controversies too, but very rarely, I will.

I hope this guide helps you know what's best to discuss and what's best to not discuss.