The Lindsay Clancy murder trial has ignited a firestorm of online commentary, but according to The Daily Wire’s Rich Cromwell, much of it is detached from reality. From amateur internet sleuths spinning wild conspiracy theories to a TikTok trend that supposedly shows moms hurling ice cubes into bathtubs, social media is once again proving that the internet might have been a mistake, Cromwell writes.
The case, which involves Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children in 2023, has become a magnet for viral content and hot takes. But Cromwell argues that the quest for clicks has led to a surge of misinformation and harmful generalizations, overshadowing the tragic reality of the case.
The ‘Ice Cube’ TikTok Myth
One example Cromwell highlights is a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that a new trend has emerged of moms filming themselves throwing ice cubes into their tubs as a way to vent their anger, in response to the Clancy trial. However, Cromwell reports that the video in question is not what it seems—it was uploaded in 2024, well before the trial began, and its creator has since posted about finding non-destructive ways to process emotions.
‘She did not offer a “same, Lindsay,” though. She didn’t comment on what verdict she’d like to see,’ Cromwell notes, emphasizing that the ice-throwing mom is simply performing for the camera, creating an idealized or exaggerated persona, which is a separate issue from the murder case.
A Culture of Outrage
Cromwell’s broader critique is that the internet has devolved into a medium focused on ignorance and outrage rather than information. He points to the ‘same, Lindsay’ trend on TikTok—where some users express solidarity with Clancy—as evidence of a disturbing tendency to extrapolate one person’s actions to all women or all mothers.
At the same time, he criticizes the ‘armchair shrinks’ who suggest that Clancy’s supporters secretly harbor thoughts of killing their own children. Both sides, he argues, are engaging in harmful overgeneralizations that fuel a ‘heterofatalist’ narrative—the idea that traditional relationships are doomed and that ‘we’re cooked.’
‘Men are too needy, women are too spoiled, there’s no hope for any of us should we give into the trap of traditional couplings,’ Cromwell writes, summarizing the fatalist worldview. But he pushes back, citing a New York Times essay by Magdalene J. Taylor that highlights reasons for optimism in dating and romance, noting that married people are among the healthiest and happiest.
Real Human Connection Over Clicks
Cromwell’s central plea is for people to step away from the screens and remember the humanity of those around them. He argues that the pixelated representations of people online are ‘a copy of a copy of a copy,’ and that true understanding comes from talking to one another directly, not from projecting fears onto strangers.
‘The girl you meet in the produce aisle is highly unlikely to become a murderer. The guy you start talking to while waiting in line to drop off an Amazon return is probably not a tyrant who wants to subjugate you and drain your life force,’ he writes.
Ultimately, Cromwell calls on readers to resist the temptation to make sense of the irrational, to stop placing blame on bogeymen, and to ‘look them in the eyes instead of looking at them on a screen.’ As he puts it, ‘People working for clicks aren’t working for connections, or even for understanding.’
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-dark-side-of-americas-lindsay-clancy-obsession