On the last night of the presidential election, I was glued to the television screen like many other people across the United States, wondering what the outcome would be. The people around me were speculating, gesturing at this gray state or that light blue state, talking about counties and percentages. There was a general air of anxiety and excitement in the room. The people in the room, one could safely assume, were of the same political affiliation. Lulled into a sense of safety, they began to speak their political opinions. While explaining a precarious situation, someone turned to me and said, “Man, you’d have to be so stupid to vote for ___.” My friend, who knew that I had voted for ___, began to laugh loudly, as did I since the situation was so ironic. The person became confused, so I explained that I had voted for ___, and explained the reasons why I had voted for that candidate. As I did so, they became less and less aggressive, saying things like, “Well, I’m sure you’re not stupid, but in general…” or simply not speaking. Clearly, they were used to speaking their opinions loudly and in an exaggerated manner that they know would not be refuted, and certainly not by a coherent counterargument.
In the days following the presidential election, I did my best to keep from getting sucked into the whirlpool of toxic waste that was social media. It seemed that all anyone could do is blame other people, share opinions written by other people, or argue in the comments section. People who were so calm and level-headed in the real world were absolutely vicious online. I became so sick of it that I automatically scrolled past anything political.
It is no longer enough to have an opinion of your own. People feel that in order for their opinions to be validated, they must inform others of this opinion. Otherwise, they believe they are taking no action. (By the way, talking about your opinion and fighting for something are two very different concepts, but that’s another story.) The easiest way to voice this opinion in a seemingly productive manner is social media. However, social media is a biased audience. The people who agree with you will say so. Those who disagree, not wishing to start a fight or perhaps afraid of risking your friendship, will likely stay silent. Therefore, those who publish their opinions leave the social media experience with the belief that they and almost everyone they know believe the same thing.
Add to this equation the radicalization of the news. Any journalist could tell you that the best news story is a dramatic one. Why call an opinion “misinformed” when you can call it “idiotic”? Why say that you “disagree” with a politician when you could say that you “hate” him or her? The sound bite has increased the use of strong language and has normalized the use of excessive adjectives when dealing with controversial subjects. Social media and a divisive political atmosphere have led to a population of charged political citizens who are fueled by the agreement of others without hearing the other perspective. After all, the other perspective is “wrong,” right?
It is much harder to call someone an “idiot” or a “bigot” when you’re looking in their eyes. It’s much more comfortable to proclaim it to the faceless void of the internet. The online community has allowed people to develop an alternate persona through which they can proclaim their opinions without having to suffer social consequences of ugly behavior. I’m not suggesting that everyone should agree publicly all the time. That would stifle opinions and create an even worse problem. Rather, I wonder if our behavior on the internet matches our behavior in reality. Are we really as authentically angry in reality as we appear to be on Facebook, or are our faces expressionless when we type out our message? Would we tell what we just wrote to a friend, or would you rather your message stay in the comfort zone of the internet? Perhaps it’s time that we stopped to consider the ingenuine nature of our online actions. If you’re genuinely angry or passionate; if you could say what you just posted to a friend who would receive the blow as a personal insult, then, by all means, post it. If not, consider the mutual humanity you share before you decide to cut down as many groups of people as you can without bearing the brunt of seeing someone become embarrassed, angry, or teary-eyed at your reproach. Your words affect people. Choose them wisely.
