Right now, the world is starting to uncover some facts about the Charlie Kirk shooter. First off, he wasn’t left-leaning. He was right-wing AF. Second, sources are tying him to the online “groyper” movement—a movement started by Nick Fuentes, a noted misogynist podcast guy. Third, his own classmates called him a “Reddit kid.”

Most of us are not shocked by now.

There’s an increasingly-common trope about terminally online people, often labeled “degenerates.” The trope involves the following features:

  • Use of sites like Reddit and 4Chan

  • An obsession with tech, crypto, and right-wing politics

  • Political radicalization, most often stemming from consuming misogynistic Red Pill dating advice

  • Inceldom

  • Being a furry or being involved with weird sexual kinks

  • Having a hard time bathing, struggling with self-care

  • Being socially awkward or even outright aggressive toward most people

The “Online Degenerate” trope has been linked to mass shootings, violent behavior, and more. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see there’s more to this than meets the eye.

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