Thread by @sweetbtstea

WELCOME TO #TINFOILHATTIME

Tonight's Topic: Why ARMYs Were Targeted By Acts Of Psychological Warfare & Why It UItimately Failed

DISCLAIMER

These are speculatory threads, and you're welcome to disagree with them and take them with a pinch of salt. Thanks!

INTRODUCTION

Not everybody loves a winner, especially if you feel they're winning in your place. So they might use some underhanded tactics to destroy your happiness and you along with it.

When you become accustomed to toxic behavior on the Internet, you can often take for granted just how disturbing some behaviors truly are.

ARMYs, we're so used to getting attacked that we might not always stop and appreciate the bizarre nature of these efforts or the source.

So over the next couple of #TINFOILHATTIME threads (this is going to be a two-parter!), I want to talk a bit about my observations as it relates to repeated acts of psychological warfare against this fandom.

I. What *is* psychological warfare?

In it's simplest definition, psychological warfare means "actions intended to reduce morale." I'm sure you can think of certain behaviors and situations acted out against BTS and ARMY that fit this explanation with eerie perfection.

Here's a more detailed explanation by way of Encyclopedia Britannica.
britannica.com/topic/psycholo…

The reason I posted that definition is so that you could truly understand how FAMILIAR these concepts are to this fandom's treatment by others.

Let's see:

+ Attempts to convince us BTS' comeback would underperform
+ Mocked for believing we could help BTS break through in America
+ Told we were "weird" for only supporting BTS (as their damn fandom!)
+ "Requests" we give our time/attention to non-BTS interests

Other acts of noteworthy behavior that *could* fall under this include:

1. Repeatedly invading our international fan cafe (weverse) and demanding our time and attention. I can honestly say I've NEVER seen fans do this to ANY other group's fan case [and expect to live].

2. Spreading a harmful news story meant to stir up ARMYs and then feeling SURPRISED when we went after the station responsible and not Big Hit, the target of the slander.

I'm sure if you sat here and thought about various incidents throughout the years, it really does start to feel like a sustained effort by multiple parties in the hopes of wearing down ARMYs mentally and emotionally in an effort to break our fandom spirit & erode our enthusiasm.

But if this is true, then the immediate instinct is to ask, "Why?"

What is it about ARMYs that would make us such prime targets for continuous (and now increasingly desperate) acts of psychological warfare?

Reason #1: To Destroy Big Hit Entertainment

Even though ARMYs are primarily concerned with BTS and ourselves, I'm now convinced that there's an ongoing and coordinated effort to use ARMYs to destroy Big Hit.

For reference:

I partially discussed this in a previous TFHT:

https://twitter.com/sweetbtstea/status/1154567231663161344

Even as we begin to prepare for BTS' comeback, you know, the thing a fandom is SUPPOSED to do, there are repeated efforts to DEMAND that ARMYs focus on Big Hit and this fictitious reality where this company is our enemy rather than our content supplier.

Let me put it this way. Let's say that there's this supermarket that has the most delicious bread. You can't get this bread anywhere else.

What would you do: buy the bread or kick the store manager in the testicles for serving rotten bread...that's not rotten?

All I can say is that it's painfully clear that SOMEBODY has it in for Big Hit Entertainment and they'll stop at nothing to crush them. And as most of BH's money is coming by way of ARMYs, there's a cartoonish increase in efforts to misdirect our focus.

One form of psychological warfare is to increasingly attack an opponent with your beliefs in the hopes that they buy into your propaganda and convert.

Trying over and over to convince ARMYs that our priority is attacking Big Hit and NOT supporting BTS fits that mold.

Reason #2 - BTS

It's a toss-up at this point if people are more desperate to get us to turn on Big Hit or discourage support for BTS with all of these non-stories and non-scandals.

BTS stimulates the Korean economy with the force of several mid-size companies. They are also money-makers abroad. Between their sales figures and influence, they're VERY hard to compete against.

https://twitter.com/BigHitEnt/status/1208570235730546688

ARMYs are the financial muscle behind these stats, and it's certainly not as if we weren't fought every step of the way with regard to how we spend our money on our faves.

ARMYs are working in direct opposition to international K-pop fandom culture, which dictates that you need to "spread around" your support or there's something wrong with you. Rather than leave us alone, we are continuously attacked as *weird* for behaving like a fandom.

These attacks are largely easy to see through, as successful ARMY campaigns lead to record-breaking success means it's harder to media play the success as others as being anywhere near what BTS is achieving.

Our love of facts and receipts makes media play pointless.

Reason #3 - Jealousy

This might sound a little weird, but I suspect the reason some people fixate on ARMYs and constantly try to get us down is because of outright jealousy. Not of our success, or even our connection to BTS. But rather, our community aka how we get along.

Now, this isn't to say that we all love each other and we never fight. But we're a family and it shows. We value each other and constantly check on each other and no matter what language you speak or where you are in the world, you're an ARMY.

If you don't have that for yourself, you might feel a really hateful desire to squash it in others.

Whatever the reasons, it's clear that ARMYs are getting it from multiple sides. The good news is that ARMYs have developed a strong resistance to these efforts. There are some who were very puzzled why these antics aren't working on our fandom.

What makes ARMYs different?

...We'll discuss that in part two. 😊👍🏾

/END PART I

Yes, that's all for PART I, but I will still leave you with a question:

Do you think ARMYs have been the subject of psychological warfare? By whom? And for what reason? Share your own tinfoil theories below!