Some people look for reasons to be outraged or insulted.
I don’t know how many other people have this issue, but
often when I’m on social media, I forget the fact that everyone in the room,
drunk, sober, class bully, village idiot (by that I mean people who
intentionally try to appear stupid), the uninformed, those looking to pick a
fight, as well as your friends can see what you’ve written.
A simple comment about a television program or some
celebrity meant to harm no one ends up being attacked by people you wouldn’t
even want to meet in real life. Often those attacks contain rather coarse
expletives – the sort you used to be banned from using on social media – for no
other reason than the person disagrees with your opinion.
And that is the key word: Opinion. Most of what is posted
online is nothing more than opinion. And for that, we are subjected to
name-calling.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called a snowflake
for having a conscience. Fine. You know, avalanches are made up of snowflakes.
And that statement is often my response to being called a snowflake, if I even
bother to respond.
Often, I don’t deem the bullies worthy of a response. If
they’re being particularly aggressive, I block them as well as not responding.
Not long ago, I responded to something posted online and
several people’s responses showed that they had either not read what I wrote or
not understood the way I wrote it. I suppose sometimes my sentence structure is
too advanced for those who are looking for an argument, and they jump on what
they think they saw. It kind of reminds me of Charlie Brown playing football
with Lucy.
I’m no more a genius than anyone else. I’m just your average
person trying to get by in the world. I have nothing going for me that could,
in any way, make me influential. The only awards I ever received – other than a
couple of fencing medals – were for perfect attendance, and I was even
criticized by my peers for those.
I would say my biggest error online is when I get into a
conversation with a friend on a post, whether it’s mine, theirs or someone
else’s, and I forget that everyone else out there can see what I’ve written.
Then someone else comes in and makes a comment on what I’ve said, usually in a
negative way. My first thought it, “Mind your own business; I wasn’t talking to
you!” And then I realize, oh, yeah, I did post that in a public forum, and
anyone can nose in.
I often get into the mindset that, especially if it’s my own
post, it’s like being at a cocktail party. You may be in a room with lots of
people, but you’re not talking to all of them. You’re talking with a circle who
are standing around you, and if someone from across the room comes over and
butts in – especially if they don’t have a history with you on the subject –
you feel annoyed, to say the least.
Unfortunately, social media is not a cocktail party, and
everyone in the room has a microphone.
What I really find obnoxious, though, is when you ask a
question about a post, and someone feels the need to put you down for what
you’ve posted.
I see social media as an opportunity to learn things on a
social level. It’s certainly not an educational forum, but if you look at it
like “The Kelly Clarkson Show” or “Evening Magazine” (is that even still on?)
it’s the online version of “entertainment news.”
For example, someone posted about the Eurovision contest. I
know what that is, but I was unaware of what countries can participate – or
even if it’s restricted to certain countries. The post was about one country
not participating if a certain other country – a non-European country, in fact
– participated. Not knowing what countries participate (I know the US doesn’t,
but I don’t know whether or not we’re allowed to), I asked if countries outside
Europe were allowed to participate. One person replied that Australia does.
That was fine. But the next comment was simply rude. The person said, “Maybe
you shouldn’t comment on things you know nothing about.”
I don’t know why that person couldn’t have just scrolled on
by. But I replied, “I didn’t comment. I asked a question. Generally people ask
questions to learn something, which was what I was trying to do.”
I didn’t grow up watching the Eurovision contest. They don’t
play it here. What was wrong with my question? It never got answered, so I
still don’t know. But I won’t bother asking on social media.
My real pet peeve on social media is the group of people who
just look to be affronted. They see the slightest comment as an attack on them
personally. If you talk about educational standards going down, they attack you
for calling them stupid. (Hey, first of all, I wasn’t talking to you. Second, I
wasn’t talking about you. I was
talking about the state of education at this moment in history. Get a grip! –
of course, I never say that.)
If you express a dislike of a particular actor, you get a
diatribe about how stupid you are because you don’t love what they love. I’ve
learned to couch my dislike of actors, singers and others in the performing
arts as “not my cuppa.” Many of the attackers apparently don’t know what that
means, so they give it a pass.
Reggae isn’t my cuppa. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think
anyone should like it. (I’m waiting for those who will misinterpret that
sentence because they don’t understand the sentence structure) Like away. Be
happy. I’m not saying it’s not music, or that it’s not worthy of fans. I’m only
saying I’m not on that fan list. As the song said, “Different strokes for
different folks.”
I was teased practically to the point of torture when I was
a teen for saying I liked the Monkees and the Bee Gees. After that I kept that
information to myself based on prior criticism. Now that there’s only one
member of each band left alive, it’s almost cool to be a fan. (So does my cool
factor improve if I divulge that I have nearly all of the albums for both
bands, mostly on vinyl?)
I used to spend a good deal of time on Social media,
probably more than is good for me. I think I’m over it. I now check out whether
or not anyone’s messaged me, looked to see if anyone I know has commented on
anything I’ve posted, scroll around to see if any of the fun things are there –
I have a fondness for videos of Casper the dog, who gives his “father” explanasions of things, and of course, wants treats – and
then I sign off. After all, I have books to write.
I used to love ceiling cat, but I don’t know whatever
happened to him, or many other fun pages. I hate the political horror pages,
but I do look to see what the comments are occasionally. I’ll even go so far as
to type a comment, then leave the page without posting it because I don’t like
the negativity.
I think one of my New Year’s Resolutions should be something
one of my cousins said about social media several years ago. She said she
doesn’t check what anyone she doesn’t know has to say on her posts because it’s
none of her business.
# # #
New service: grammar refresher. This month's words: Then/than
then: a time reference. E.g. :She won the race, then received the medal.
than: comparison. E.g.: The giant is taller than the bunny.
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