A "virtue signaling" deep dive, anyone?

Please enjoy (or sigh exasperatedly) at me taking social media conversation seriously

Virtue signaling:

• Oxford Languages (labeled derogatory): the public expression of opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or social conscience or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.

• Wikipedia: Virtue signalling is the act of expressing opinions or stances that align with popular moral values, often through social media, with the intent of demonstrating one’s good character.

• Helpful Professor: ... actions that are more about posturing and impression management than actual action.

Last week an Instagram commenter said I was virtue signaling on a post about off-leash dogs in on-leash areas. This is not that uncommon of a reaction. The “leash your dog” conversation continues to be more controversial than my past self ever imagined—I’m not entirely sure what other stuff (defensiveness, resenting urban restrictions overall, the struggle to read tone online?) comes up for people here, but the responses often seem bigger than the topic itself.

As I should have predicted, this particular thread quickly devolved. I know I ought not to give strangers on the internet much of my time—especially after they’ve tried to insult me by making fun of people with disabilities (seriously?!)—but the experience did get me thinking more about virtue signaling: the words themselves, what we take them to mean, how we use them to talk about other people’s behavior.

And I’m considering some questions now.