We need to change the way we act in the comment sections on social media and focus on empowerment.
Looking online for things that are empowering can be extremely difficult. Whether it be for men or for women, it seems like there isn't a happy medium between help, guidance, and positivity. If what you're reading is great, leave it to the comment sections to completely discourage any positivity that you glean.
What's sad is that, while there's plenty of negativity from both ends, women are culprits most of the time. We have a tendency to tear others down and attack beliefs and belittle, and all out make people feel horrible about themselves.
The place that I've ended up seeing it the most is on posts about feminism, which, to their credit, I'm not too sure that everyone understands what it is actually about.
Feminism is wanting equality for everyone—women, men, LGBTQ communities, and basically everyone involved.
Feminism is not hating men, hating those who don't believe the same way that you do and hating those who are different than you.
The concept is something that is sorely needed in today's society. With the rise of the call for acceptance and tolerance, we need to be sticking together, not going after each other.
One comment on a post can define you to someone else, and if that thought doesn't absolutely terrify you, I'm not sure what will.
Which is why we need to focus on empowering one another, not belittling.
The internet already has enough ugly to it. While everyone is completely entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, there's a way to kindly have a debate and not a full-fledged argument. There's a way to move past a differing opinion without hurting someone in the process. It can be rather difficult at times, and even I have to stop myself from jumping to the defense of someone I don't know or posting a snarky reply to someone I think is completely rude and over the line.
Like I said earlier, feminism encompasses this for the most part. While we can be quick to jump to the defense of our opinion, and granted sometimes it can be harsh and misconstrued, we mean it for the best of all of us.
Everyone deserves to have an equal opportunity in work, social, and political fields. No one should be told to "go home", that they "belong in the kitchen", or that "once you get married/have a baby/settle down, it'll all make sense". We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, no matter what we are or choose to believe. We deserve so much better, and that's what feminists are calling for.
But, if we want this to happen, we as women need to set that example. We need to be the ones to support our sisters and friends and post uplifting comments. While keeping the negativity at bay is going to be a challenge and at times a tab bit painful, we can show that we're above all of that and set a trend that hopefully can spread—positivity and tolerance.
