I am noticing a disturbing trend emerging online. Of course, in any situation where human beings are thrown together in large numbers, disaster often follows, but when it comes to social media, it is a whole new kettle of fish.

We live in a difficult time, no different from any other period in human history – but, in fact, this is one of the most peaceful and prosperous times the world has ever known. But the catalyst for such social unrest is the media. The rise of fake news, the increase in censorship, the manipulation of the stories that make the front page and the psychology behind what is reported on and the language used, has created a fractious environment that has allowed extreme rightism to incubate. People who were once on the fringes of society with their right-wing views are now given a platform to address their minions; they have access to thousands – even millions – of people who will believe anything they are told and don’t have the ability to do their own research and separate fact from fiction.

The result of this constant stream of propaganda, click bait, manipulated statistics, and YouTube diatribes of utter nonsense is that people think it is acceptable to start voicing their fascist views. Now, don’t get me wrong: I am not saying that we should limit free speech in any shape or form but rather that, before we write or repeat anything, we should be sure that, firstly, it is true and, secondly, that it is not inciting hatred for an individual or group that does not deserve it.

People can say what they like and, at the end of the day, if we stop anyone from saying what they like then we are on a slippery slope towards an all-out infringement of people’s rights, which is not a situation I would agree with. My point is that it now seems to have become more socially acceptable to be racist, sexist or homophobic. It was once something to be ashamed of, but now I see more and more people crawling out of the woodwork and openly following and sharing views that previously would have been limited to just rattling around inside someone’s cranial cavity.

One particular thing that makes my mind boggle is the usage of the word ‘liberal’, as if it is some kind of insult. The definition of a liberal is someone who is “favourable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms” and suggested synonyms include ‘tolerant’, ‘unprejudiced’ and ‘broad minded’. Not really much of an insult, is it? In fact, it is such a compliment that I might get it tattooed on my forehead or, at the very least, printed on to a t-shirt. How twisted do you have to be, to think that being tolerant and respectful of people’s rights is a bad thing?

These people don’t seem to realise that if they are throwing the world ‘liberal’ at someone as an insult, they are in fact implying that they are themselves a bigot, and since when was that something to be proud of? Openly advertising the fact that you do not care for, or respect, another person’s rights was once something that was totally unheard of and yet now, in 2017, everyone appears to be at it.

Whether it is political figures speaking out against gay marriage (if you are against gay marriage, I would strongly advise you not to marry someone of the same sex and just leave it there), ex-letting agents sticking their metaphorical oars into women’s uteruses, sports clubs banning burkinis or people on your Facebook timeline sharing Britain First posts – people seem to have no shame when it comes to voicing a view that is pure bigotry.

We have a bright orange, half-human, half guinea-pig running America, the UK being run by a sadistic robot who has teamed up with a group of climate change-denying terrorists and don’t even get me started on Brexit. We are becoming scared of the unknown, willing to believe everything we read and unwilling to find out the truth for ourselves.

We believe everything that is fed to us by these morons who have somehow ended up in power and we follow the teachings of the Daily Mail as if it is gospel. You would think that, in an age when we have an unlimited amount of information at our fingertips, the opposite would be the case: that the mainstream media would lose its power because we have the possibility to educate ourselves and do so under our own steam.

Unfortunately, I think the sad fact of the matter is that some people just do not want to understand the truth. It is easier to fear and hate than it is to root out the truth of a matter and admit that, perhaps, your original opinion might be wrong. It is even easier for this new wave of internet fascists to hate and loathe, instead of accepting that there are people with different ways of life and that this does not mean that they are evil and want to overthrow society.

You can call me a liberal as much as you like, but be aware that it is not offensive in any shape or form. Believing in human rights and tolerance, as well as treating everyone as an individual – as opposed to categorising them according to where they were born or who they want to have sex with – is a good thing.

Oh, and one last thing: saying “I am not racist/homophobic/sexist but…” before you say something racist/homophobic or sexist, does not mean you are not racist/homophobic/sexist. A shoddy, Facebook disclaimer before stating your hateful views does not give you free reign to slam a billion-plus people and calling me a ‘liberal for opposing you is the biggest compliment you could give me.