The default "following" feed only shows who you follow. There are a couple other default feeds like "Discover" and "Popular with Friends" that show other stuff. There also a bunch of feeds made by people that show whatever...
The result is that even if you have extremely good hygiene about who you follow: rage bait will still often make it's way onto your skyline as quote dunks, reskeets or replies. So if there's an account you just don't ever want to see blocking is still the most fullproof way, even then you're still often exposed to screenshots of rage bait.
As a corollary if there are accounts that everybody knows are just going to be trolls, mass blocks help starve them of attention before they get a foot hold.
Yep, unfortunately, it's practical to block people who behave like trolls in advance, as people seemingly can't help but repost their annoying content.
Self defense. They are making significant real world changes that can change your plans if you, you know, interact with the world. Like traveling to another country, or saying things out loud. It's good to be prepared. The pace of those changes is at a historic high in the current administration. There's a sweet spot between being informed and obsessed, but it's sometimes hard to station keep.
The result is that even if you have extremely good hygiene about who you follow: rage bait will still often make it's way onto your skyline as quote dunks, reskeets or replies. So if there's an account you just don't ever want to see blocking is still the most fullproof way, even then you're still often exposed to screenshots of rage bait.
As a corollary if there are accounts that everybody knows are just going to be trolls, mass blocks help starve them of attention before they get a foot hold.