Lately I have been thinking about the internet. In today's society who DOESN'T think about the internet? Correction I guess people don't really think about it when they use it. And they sometimes forget the consequences that can be involved. The first time that I remember ever using the internet was when I was in high school computer call. My teacher was Rick Durkee. I remember thinking that the internet was the coolest thing because I could find answers to absolutely any question that I had. Shortly there after my best friend, Jen, showed me the wonders of internet chat rooms. I was hooked. The internet has expanded since then. Children are now using computers starting in their preschool classrooms. Aeryn is able to surf the web just as well as I at this point. Sometimes even better. This is all fabulous is it not? It brings to mind how we sometimes can have too much of a good thing. Like eating an entire apple pie instead of just a slice. We are bound to get sick right?
I have noticed the internet has enabled people to be mean. Meaner than normal and thinking that their meanness does not have consequences. I don't know about you buy I have a really hard time being mean to someone when I am looking right at them. Things like Facebook, and Twitter give you the ability to verbally attack people from the comfort of their couches.
Recently I read a post by a friend on Facebook. He had become a bit disheartened with social networking and was considering deleting his account. This personally would make me sad. I love seeing his very happy, lighthearted posts in the morning. I also enjoy the pictures that he posts of his big beautiful horse Upon further investigation (otherwise known as facebook stalking) I discovered the source of his disdain. Now as a disclaimer before I continue I would like to say that I do not know the full story of what happened because I did not see the original posting that he had responded to. I am just a witness to a situation that got out of hand really quickly.
He had read a post on facebook and responded in a private message to the poster The key word in this situation is private. He did not feel that he should melign her publicly where everyone and their brother would be able to read. He however felt that he needed to share his oppinion that he did not agree with what she had originally posted.
The response of the original poster was something that I personally think borders on insane. But really thinking about it. This is what has become normal in todays online social networking society. The response was to attack my friend verbally and try to make him feel horrible about not agreeing with her. Now she did not have the tact to do this in a private message as he did. Instead she did it on her public wall as well as his public wall. She wanted to attract as much attention as she could to the situation and try to gain " the sympathy vote " by trying to question the character of my friend.
Really people? Is this what we have come to? Before social networking this still happened. I am not so naive to believe that this only started happening the minute Facebook came into existence. It did not however, happen at the large scale that it does not.
We are now able to reach millions of people every day with the words that we right. I, personally, try to use my words for good. The pen, or in this case tiny little keyboard that connects to my Ipad, is mightier than the sword and all that. But there are so many cases that people use their words to hurt other. I believe, from experience, that I can handle a punch in the gut a heck of a lot better than I can handle some of the harsh words that have been said to me.
Is this what we are teaching our young people? I teach Aeryn that if she has a problem than she needs to confront it head on. If someone does something to her that hurts her feelings she will get a better response by looking that person in the eye and letting them know that. If I have something really important to say to someone, I certainly do not say it in an email or a text message. And I most certainly do not try to intentionally bash other people with the words that I write.
Now to some of you out there in internet land. It may seem that I was trying to bash the woman who was the original poster. In my defense, I do tend to think harshly of people who intentionally try to hurt my friend be it physically or emotionally. But I do not have a dog in this fight. I am just a bystander and feel the need to observe the fact that social interaction via the internet has become more and more negative.
Recently in the news there was a story about a female new anchor who receive a letter from an person watching her show telling her that she is fat and that she is not a good role model for young women. Really? And what kind of role model is the writer of that letter to our younger generations?
Why has everything gotten so negative? As we make more and more advances on social media sights and networking what will this negativity bring to out society? Feel free to leave me your comments and opinions on this matter.
