A few years ago I ewas not in a great place. I quickly worked out that my mental health was being affected by the negativity around football and fuelled by social media. As a result, I deleted all my social media accounts and actively stopped listening to those who projected their negativity onto others.

The result was I bought a new house, began a new career and started my own company. I am in a much happier place now than I was in 2017.

I tell this short story because I see others heading towards the same place that I was in (I am now back online due to the social media needed for my company).

After a brilliant 12 months, Arsenal are going through a rough patch. And like rats at night, some fans have grabbed on to this and using our poor wrong to project their negativity once more.

There are two sides of this that I see.

The first is those that are very unhappy in their personal lives. They then use social media to project their negativity onto you. Instead of trying to bring themselves up, they try and drag you down.

Instead of dealing with their own issues, and self-reflecting on what is causing them, they attempt to justify them by making others like them. “It is not me, it is society” is how they think.

It is not just in Arsenal or football you see these people, it is throughout the world on all topics. Their negativity is not actually aimed at whatever company (or individual) they spend hours a day trying to bring down, they are aimed at themselves.

Then you have the attention seekers. Those that realised that negativity sells.

These folk have created a fake negative persona for hits, RTs, impressions and views. Many try to monitise it.

What they then try and do is lead those in the first group who do have that negativity mindset. They become the leader of this group, almost cult like. This then become negativity on steroids as they create the network and echo chamber for those around them to feed off, and the negativity grows amongst them, becomes more aggressive and more extreme.

These folk are basically spreading negativity to try and make money or for attention. But what they are doing is damaging their own mental health.

We have seen before with many a YouTuber and blogger that they begin by showing fake outrage, the attention they gain from this persona is like a drug and their postings become more frequent and extreme.

The issue for them is at some point they cross the line and their fake persona becomes their real one. They entire the pit of depair. They have voluntarily decided to damage their own mental health and a few quid from Elon Musk.

Back to Arsenal, what is interesting (in my opinion), is that in our darkest days, the club was actually a less negative place.

Many of those who spew their negative garbage had stopped going in the last year or so of Arsene Wenger. They no longer wanted to spend their hard earned money. Their places were taken, post-Covid, by fans who were just happy to be there. Who would support the club win, lose or draw.

Then last season, after the first 6 months, these folk began showing an interest in football again. Began to get tickets and frequent message boards that they had not been seen on for years.

They turned their backs on the club during our dark times and as soon as we had an upturn in fortunes, they scuttled back from under their rocks.

12-months on and the atmosphere at the club is back to how it was in 2017.

To start with, I pointed out 6 months ago that a big reason why Arsenal had a ticket crisis at the moment was because of our upturn in form. This saw more demand from those fans who are only interested in going when times are good. There was no problems getting tickets when we were 6th or 7th in the league, not selling out in the Europa League.

Then we go on the little poor run we are now in. It happens in football. anyone who has followed their club through thick and thin for decades will know the ups and downs. But due to the return of the boo boys in our good times, the ground is back to the toxicity of the bad times.

I am seeing fans on message boards, in WhatsApp groups reappear and spread their brand of negativity. They said in 2017 that they had not interest in Arsenal anymore and would not be back. They returned in 2023. And now in 2024 they are saying once more that they are turning their back on the club.

These people are not supporters. They just want to jump in and out of supporting depending on whether we are good or bad. And they will also use any opportunity to deflect the negative aspects of their own life onto others.

I said decades ago on a forum that I would love Arsenal to get relegated. It was said facetiously as I would never want that to happen. But my thinking was by getting relegated, you would shake off all the casual fans, the day trippers, those only interested in the good times. Arsenal would be a much better, more positive place, without these.

For those that do not believe me, keep an eye on Aston Villa.

It was not too long ago that Villa got relegated. They recently accounced that they were reviewing their away ticketing policy to ensure that is was not a ‘closed shop’. Sound familiar?

The result will be those 3-4,000 who have been home and away in the good and bad times will be diluted by fans who only want to turn up in the good times. And as soon as the tide turns at Villa Park (and it will), those fans boos will be heard loudly.

Those casuals will then stop turning up, leaving the loyal “through thick and thin” fans to pick up the pieces. And of course, next time Villa have an upwards turn of form they will be back again!

I will finish off by reminding fans to not let the 90s minutes get in the way of the football.

Pre-social media it used to be easy – lose a game, go pub, talk it out, conversation moves on. But with social media, and those using to exploit it and spread their negativity, it can feel like you are in a dark place 24/7.

Put the phone down, get some fresh air, and block those who deflect their negativity onto others all day, every day, and especially those that try to monitise depression.

Christmas doesn't mean the same for everyone, nor does it bring us all the same joy. Copy and paste on to you’re Timeline

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— The General (@kaejlaab) December 24, 2023

Keenos