I see it everywhere I go in gaming forums, and it is insulting every single time I see it. In the context of Elite, it is related to harder NPCs; the majority of players saying it appear to be PvP types unaffected by the change. The rest of us who play more leisurely (aka "casuals") are often the ones who suffer the most when difficulty ratchets up suddenly.
The issue is, the simple fact is not everyone has the physical skill set, the resources (I myself play on a hand-me-down KB&M) or the time to, as the elitist crows puts it, "git gud". People have no idea how to be people anymore, and those with a super high MLG skill set demand everyone all play at their level, that every video game they ever pick up all be catered to their skills, and on you if you can't match them. If the game isn't difficult, they scream at developers to make it difficult or they'll take their business elsewhere. When someone not of their level has an issue, they swarm on them with "GIT GUD SCRUB" comments; in the context of Elite, they're then surprised when nobody wants anything to do with them and they stay in Solo. It is precisely because I can't stand these sorts of people that I personally play in Solo.
The simple fact is that players who yell at others to "GIT GUD" don't actually want these players actually getting better. They want to always have this aura about being "better" than everyone else and lord it over those who can't succeed at getting better on their own for whatever reason. They react with toxic levels of schadenfreude when games get harder. If a player were to actually get better, then said player could challenge them and knock them off the throne they've set for themselves.
If you really, REALLY want to see the game get better, and the players get better, then offer to help. Offer to mentor. Offer to train. If you just say "git gud" then quite frankly you need to be isolated. You already have your reward. You have nothing further to add but sneering and contempt. And so, you deserve it right back.
This is one reason why gaming communities are often so toxic. Everything's a competition when it doesn't need to be.
I am presuming you might be old enough to be or have been a parent, or empathize with the concept of parenting.
After say your child is 5-6 years old - and has learned to walk and talk to a proficient degree - what happens when your child falls over, and starts to sniffle - do you spend the next hour or so demonstrating the various ways not to trip and fall over curbs, food wrappers and shoelaces etc., while crooning sweet noises to sooth the child's physical pain. I do not think so....
You say, common, get up, lets go - it hurts, be brave...
GIT GUD....!!!
I think many gamers, and internet users often mistake the natural inter-human dialogue, showing a normal lack of sympathy (and perhaps a playful shove while some one is down) as some sort of personal slight.
People really need to stop taking offence at every chance, and grow a pair...
GIT GUD...!!!
As to toxicity...
I think there is a current phenomenon in human cultural evolution - where we are becoming self important - due to the platform the internet gives us. It is a concerning trend, especially where mixed with a "politically correct" mindset.
So I think the toxicity the OP refers to is escalated to by a misunderstanding in internet communication...
For example: a reader of an anonymous text message - is often misinterpreting that message (because it has no tonal or facial cues).
This often leads to the reader of a text message to project their own mindset onto the meaning of the text..
If a text message is read for arguments sake by someone who has a strong preconception of how the world should be (someone who values and trusts their own interpretation of the world around them) - they may well read more into what is being said, as it is a human survival trait to find trends - even when there are none...
On the flip side, if you are young and the horizon is bringing new things to you on a regular basis, you are less inclined to project your understanding of the world onto everything around you, and in the case of internet text communication - be less inclined to incorrectly interpret ambiguity. And you will also have a propensity go with the flow until you understand. Which in many cases would result in you shouting, "GIT GUT" at the next available chance and being at one with your internet peers.
GIT GUD...!!!
Malice - "GIT GUD" in my opinion is not intentionally meant as a slight, but usually a playful term in internet-intercourse, but if you are not familiar with the wider internet culture, you may misinterpret it's meaning - and inadvertently, bring a level of malice and toxicity to gaming and online human interaction...
So my recommendation would be to...
GIT GUD...!!!