I can understand the desire to get as many downvotes as possible on reddit. I don’t sympathize, but I can at least see where people are coming from. Because Reddit gives you that total and shows it to you.
And I’m sure it’s possible to use an API to really that number up on Lemmy, but “total karma” doesn’t seem to be something Lemmy cares about by default, so where is the motivation coming from?
Is it just the same reason people have always been trolls? Because I’ve never quite understood that, either
Exactly this: don’t engage. You may be 100% right and justified but the energy you invest even in responding is lost/wasted. It’s a temptation to be right and you’re falling for it. Your attention could be elsewhere.
For example, I use YouTube as a learning platform mainly, but sometimes for entertainment. If I started arguing with someone in the comments then I’ve strayed from my own understanding of the platform’s place in my life. I try to weild technology with more awareness and avoid those pitfalls.