There’s something about social media that just seems to bring out the worst in some people.
They’ll be good, affable, reasonable people who seem like the people you’d like to be around while having a big plate of chicken wings and a pint of beer. Some of them are fairly bright, and have a university degree or some sort of post-secondary education.
But stick them in front of a computer, with a Facebook or Twitter account, where they don’t have to meet with you face to face, and they turn into a completely different person, a keyboard warrior, a social media loser or someone who you don’t want to be around.
Worst of all are those who refuse to use their real name. Want to use a maiden name or a nickname within the context of your real name? Go for it. But the people who you’re talking with deserve to know who you really are.
Actually the worst ones are those who use burner accounts – fake accounts that exist only because the users don’t want their comments traced back to them.
Recently a Peaceful Freedom Rally was held at Torgeson Park in Estevan. It drew more than 120 people. I won’t get into what I thought of the overall message of this event; that’s not the point of this column. I will say there were some very good speakers who effectively conveyed their message, one speaker who deserved tremendous credit for the transparency and openness she demonstrated, and there were a couple of speakers who gave critics of the rally the ammunition they were looking for.
But for the most part, the event was fine. People were well-behaved. Nobody said or did anything that would be defined as criminal.
But a photo album afterwards, posted to the Mercury’s Facebook page, drew over 200 comments. And most who commented didn't seem to want a rational discussion. (For some, staying on topic was also difficult).
Here’s the kicker: most of the comments were made within hours of the event, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and evening, when people should be thinking of other things to do than getting into a protracted debate on social media.
We’re not going to have many nice nights left this year. We certainly aren’t going to have many nice weekend nights left. On a nice Saturday night, or a nice night in general, I can think of many things I’d rather do than debate someone on social media, particularly someone who doesn’t have what it takes to use their own name.
That list of things I’d rather do includes properly positioning myself on my patio chair so that I’m standing on my head, and allowing the blood to rush to my head until I pass out.
In the winter, I can still think of things I’d rather do than get into an argument on social media, including the afore-mentioned standing on my head until I pass out. And yes, that includes a day in which it’s -30 C outside in the middle of January.
(If you’ve been hoping to bait me into an argument on social media, this should explain to you why it doesn’t happen).
Some people are fools. They’re going to be losers on social media, and they’re not going to be any better in real life. Fortunately, they represent a very small fraction of this community, and they represent a very small fraction of society. There’s an old adage: “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”
But sadly, there are some who become fools when social media is involved.
Legend has it that this was said by Mark Twain, but I can’t conclusively prove this. But it has certainly proved to be prophetic, and it definitely applies to the social media generation.
It’s time to expect better from our discourse. Don’t speak in generalities or superlatives. Make smart, rational, informed statements. Think about how statements will reflect on ourselves, our families, our employers and our community.
Yes, there are certain worldviews and philosophies that deserve to be ridiculed, such as those who spew hate-filled beliefs.
But on most issues, you can find good, hearty, reasonable arguments on both sides that elevate the conversation.
One day, before too long, hopefully we can sit down and have good face-to-face debates over good food and drink, listen to each other’s perspective, and, at the end, shake hands and agree to disagree and look forward to doing it again. (We can probably do it now, except for the shaking hands part).
But regardless of whether it’s face to face, or through a computer, let’s do our best to elevate the conversation.
