Social Vandalism

In 1991, pre-unschooling for me, I wrote:

Changing things just for the sake of changing them could amount to social vandalism, and I never advocate that.

I used the term a few times, here and there, when I saw it. In 2017 I used it, and someone asked me to define it. The use:

Some people seem to be thinking the world is there to tear up, and they can't tell useful information from social vandalism.

the question:

"Social vandalism". I like this thought, but am not quite sure I understand what you mean. Could you explain it, please?

Sandra Dodd

Actions that make the social environment ugly. Actions that harm the social environment. Gratuituous stupidity thrust upon the interpersonal landscape.

Some people don't "leave the site cleaner than they found it." They make their mark (in a conversation, in a situation) the way a kid with spraypaint at 3:00 a.m., or a kid with a rock breaking a window, does.

Instead of wild, pointless destruction of property, it's wild, pointless destruction of peace and rational coversation.

Those last comments are from a facebook discussion, on my page, about a video called "Eating Twinkies with God". (the discussion link)

The 1991 quote was from something I wrote in for the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), "Creativity in Kings". It's credited to my SCA name, but my real name is at the bottom. 🙂

"Beware of social vandalism. Please don't participate in it."
In reference to people badmouthing unschooling when they have little or no real knowledge or experience of it. at Radical Unschooling Info, 2019

I think spiteful, negative speech or writing without regard to its veracity or its effect (or worse—in hopes that it will have ill effects) is social vandalism. It's trying to prove one was there by tearing something up, but making something dirtier or less useful.

(Sandra Dodd, summarizing on this obscure page, in 2026)

Seeing and Avoiding Negativity

Logic

Peace