hatred for bugs has ended. we are entering the era of Bug Love
It really seems that way. Growing up the vast majority of adults I encountered not only thought all im invertebrates were kill-on-sight repulsive (except usually butterflies and ladybugs) but the older they were the more likely they felt the same about snakes, bats, lizards and sometimes even frogs(!!!)
It's now down to mostly only wasps, spiders, cockroaches and parasites (or micropredators) that I still see people intensely divided over and even then it's a DIVISION.
The first time I ever admonished someone on the internet for killing a harmless spider I got mostly ridiculed and dogpiled by people twice my age. Now it's more likely I'll see a hundred posts of backlash about some asshole who killed a spider for no good reason and whoever they're talking about already deleted the post or locked their account.
😃
I made this post in a fit of passion thinking about bees, but you're right, even within my lifetime I've noticed a big cultural shift happening.
I feel that the scale is tipping toward Spider Love. (Or maybe it's just that I have a little sister who has absolutely loved spiders, like adoringly cooing over them, ever since she was 7-8 or so). And most of the negativity I see about them is like. people having phobias? instead of hatred. People are much more reluctant to publicly say "yeah I hate this creature kill them all" anymore because it's becoming more common for people to view you as a sicko for being spitefully hateful (and rightfully so!)
I also feel like the current overwhelming positivity toward bees is new, it seems like not too long ago at least some people were negative toward them, but now saying you hate bees is like saying you hate puppies.
And oh my god, ISOPODS. Isopods have shot up to the tier of a solidly "cute" critter on par with ladybugs.
And way more people have an appreciation for like dragonflies and praying mantises and other neat creatures like that.
I've had a harder time convincing people that flies are cool sadly (SO much diversity! Their flight is so precise and skillful! They're really important pollinators and so important for cleaning up waste!).

























