Shitposting

Shitposting refers to the act of posting deliberately provocative, off-topic, or nonsensical content on an online forum or social media platform, with the primary intention of eliciting a reaction from other users. It often involves low-effort content such as memes, copypastas, repetitive phrases, or deliberately bad takes. The goal is typically to disrupt, troll, or amuse, sometimes crossing the line into offensive or controversial territory. shitposting can range from harmless absurdity to malicious intent, with its effectiveness measured by the level of engagement and outrage it generates. The content itself is often considered worthless or disposable, serving merely as a catalyst for online interactions and a reflection of internet culture's embrace of irony and chaos.

Shitposting meaning with examples

• A user on a gaming forum started a shitposting thread by posting unrelated images of cats and aggressively claiming they were previews of the next expansion pack. Despite the obvious falsehood, the post generated a lengthy thread filled with confused responses, humorous replies, and increasingly absurd cat-related memes, achieving the desired effect of entertaining and disrupting the forum.
• During a political debate on Twitter, someone engaged in shitposting by responding to serious policy proposals with screenshots of Pepe the Frog. This led to a backlash from serious users as well as people creating even more meme and image based responses, the original poster would argue that they had achieved their goal of making light of the otherwise heavy topic of conversation
• An artist on Instagram started shitposting by posting a series of deliberately badly drawn sketches and absurd captions under the pretense of serious art criticism. Many users got it, and others got angry, leading to a debate on artistic skill versus online trends. They'd eventually get a larger following and be sponsored by brands who were happy to be associated with a controversial artist.
• In a subreddit dedicated to a specific topic, a user began shitposting by constantly posting irrelevant and nonsensical questions. The thread was filled with angry replies, sarcastic comments, and eventually, other users started responding with similarly bizarre answers and meta-shitposting which was the original posters' goal.
• A group of friends on a Discord server made a game out of shitposting, each trying to outdo the others with increasingly outlandish and poorly executed memes and jokes. Their aim was to amuse themselves and each other, embracing the absurdity and low-effort nature of the content and creating a private culture around the practice.