There are many reasons I love social media and technology. They make staying in touch with people nearly effortless, there is a wealth of information and entertainment at our fingertips, and the possibilities for creativity are nearly endless. That said, there are unfortunate aspects to both that make it challenging for some of us to completely enjoy our forays into the cyber world.
Without a doubt, the experience with such advanced information and communicative avenues has both an up and a downside. For all the great experiences there are equally maddening ones. And the extent to which the less desirable aspects showcase the disgusting side of humanity is something I have a difficult time with. I find it tough to skim over the bullying, childish, laundry-airing bullshit without feeling the irritation well up. The broad judgements that some armchair judge and jury post, almost always without knowing the facts is astounding. The ugliness of people clings to most every social media outlet and is likely the reason for the level of dysfunction in human interaction these days.
We cast our opinions out on the interwebs, safely guarded behind computer, tablet and phone screens, oblivious to the extent of damage our words have caused others. This kind of 'socialising' is riddled with ignorance and short-sighted thinking, as well as a glaring indicator of the unprecedented growth of narcissism. This population of social media users has taken the bigotry, hatred, racism and baseless platitudes they've long spouted out of the limited exposure their physical environment provided and are transmitting it to an endless audience, magnifying the repercussions of their words beyond measure.
It is wholly wrong to wield words of harmful intent in this manner, just as it is considered to be in everyday conversation and interaction of the physical world. The fact that it is done without accountability and amasses power in numbers through the increasing volume of snap-judgements and ignorant, venom-spewing is deplorable. How do we even begin to eradicate our lives of this toxicity when there are no real avenues of acceptable online behaviour?
Anyone's opinions, regardless of validity, can and are touted as fact somewhere down the line. The process of thinking before we speak (or in this case type/post) has all but disappeared. The fodder of fools is so plentiful and fuels the fear and anger of those who can't be bothered to stop and sort out the bullshit from the truth. Casting blanket accusations against people we have never met, based on stories we barely read two lines from, asserting our proclamations of what we would have done, all while having no first-hand experience or knowledge of the situation or those involved. Yes, we should be ashamed of our actions.
To parade opinion as fact, loose observations as experience, and spin vicious attacks with the stroke of a key is irresponsible, immature, ignorant and downright inexcusable. The internet has allowed the worst kinds of bandwagoning to occur and all because near-free reign was given to anyone with access to cyberspace. The possibility of this destructive course being brought back around to a more positive path is sadly unlikely thanks to the number of limited minds and closed off souls pecking away at their keyboards every second of every day.
In an effort to maintain my own sanity, as well as hold myself accountable for my choices and actions in this sphere I choose to bring attention to the good, the positive and the uplifting. I refrain from being a source of fuel to ignorance and stand against hatred. I will not weigh my opinions in public on matters I have no real knowledge of and I do my best to avoid being a link in the cyber-bullying chain. We are individuals experiencing our lives as only we can and to allow ourselves to assume how we would live moments in someone else's life is foolhardy at best. While it is helpful to have a general consensus on acceptable behaviours, there are too many exceptions to hold those guidelines up as absolutes and the basis for our negative actions.
In my opinion, there needs to be a surge of thoughtful consideration and refrain from knee-jerk posting in order to begin quelling the spread of stupidity and outright hate. It starts with pausing long enough to see all sides, or at the very least realize there isn't nearly enough information to make a sound statement. Pull your fingers off your keyboards and resist the urge to inject your brand of stupid for once. When all else fails, remember "If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all".
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