We only have two things to blame: ourselves and, like most problems, constant access to social media.

They’re all over the Internet — people clogging up our news feeds with pages of poorly written complaints explaining how unbelievably offended they are. They’re pissed about that meme, that YouTube video, what that politician said or whatever the hell Miley Cyrus just did. Why is everyone so goddamn offended all of the time? We only have two things to blame: ourselves and, like most problems, constant access to social media.

A Public Forum

At no other point in history have we had such a crazy-ass thing as the Internet. Before the Internet, people barely knew what anyone was thinking. Now, we basically have deep, instant access to the thoughts and feelings of every single person on Facebook or Twitter. Research has shown that posting personal data lights up the pleasure centers of the brain — and people can get addicted to the chemical rush and the attention they receive.

If It Bleeds, It Leads

The media loves scandal, and offensive statements are their page-view bread and butter when it comes to racy news. When the old, white-trash and bigoted star of Duck Dynasty mentions what he thinks about gays, the media bites down hard and inevitably drags him to his cultural death. In olden times, he would’ve just talked about hatin’ gays to his gay-hatin’ friends — but with the globalization of opinion and the bloodthirsty media, anything and everything can turn into a firestorm.

Squeaky Wheels

More and more, the vocal minority gets what it wants. “I’m offended” is an unbeatable trump card when it comes to debate, and politicians, lawmakers and public figures don’t want to give an embarrassing apology speech or be on the wrong side of a public issue — they’ll bend to the will of the lowest common denominator to keep everyone happy (and so they’ll get reelected next year).

Heal and Grow

It’s impossible to hide from different views — the best thing you can do is educate yourself. Listen to contrary views as often as you can. Think about what it is they’re arguing and why they’re arguing it. Everyone has a different background that sculpts their perception of the world and the way they think life works, and people from different backgrounds are almost guaranteed to have different opinions than you.

New terms from the offended landscape

Don't tell us you never learned anything (Courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com)

1. Microaggressions:

When you do something offensive in a small innocuous way. In practice, it's what happens whenever a white/straight/male does anything, ever, Basically, it's an excuse for liberals to be angry for no reason.

2. Trigger Warning:

Something to warn weak-minded people wo are easily offended that they might find something offensive in some way due to its content, causing them to overreact or otherwise start acting like a dipshit.

3. Social Justice Warrior:

A pejorative term for an individual who repeatedly and vehemently engages in arguments on social justice on the Internet, often in a shallow or not well-thought-out way, for the purpose of raising their own personal reputation. They don't necessarily strongly believe all they say, or even care about the groups they are fighting on behalf of.