Last week, someone very close to me confided in me that she believed she was being shaded. Shaded? I had not the slightest clue what that meant. However, it turned out to be more than a big deal.
The term shading is another phrase used to describe the online actions of another person. Comparable to newer terms like catfishing or Googling, shading is the action/multiple actions involved in trashing a person over the Internet.
Unfortunately, shading is not anything comparable to normal trash-talk online. Shading is posting pictures, memes, tweets, snapchat stories, etc. about a specific person without mentioning his or her name. Shading is a sly way of saying how you feel. Instead of sharing your feelings with the person you need to, you share with your entire social community in hopes that one person makes the connection. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it?
In my friend's case, her boyfriend was mad at her and was accusing her of doing things she never did. He was fed up with her and, in return, he shaded her multiple times through Instagram posts and Snapchat stories. It was obvious that he was shading her. He took down all of their pictures together and started posting nasty memes and quotes. However, there was nothing we could do about it.
After talking to the kid and convincing him to convey his feelings otherwise, he finally admitted and apologized for his actions. However, their case was only one of many. Some people do not apologize for their actions, and some other people do not even acknowledge shading as wrong.
Thus, the Internet brings out the inner child in all of us. Whether it is through actions like shading or catfishing, many people take to childish actions and become overly sensitive. Instead of working out relationship and social problems as adults, many people choose to open up to an entire audience. They want their friends and family involved. They want to embarrass and bully their enemies. They want to look like the hero. All for what? The fame and the fortune and more? All for their own satisfaction.
In my opinion, it is childish. It is childlike and rude to publicize relational problems; problems that should be kept between those involved. Every day, the people you associate and hang out with battle problems and struggles that you would never imagine. Yet, they always manage to keep the problems to themselves. It is rarely mentioned on social media, and it is not blasted toward other individuals.
So, if you are one who has shaded another individual on the Internet, or if you are a victim of a shading incident, it is okay. As long as you realize your actions or worked out the problems, your conscience is clear. It is only those who consistently shade and constantly use social media as a uncensored outlet that will find themselves in trouble.
