Let’s start a riot! But maybe don’t….

There are always a few things that define a generation. For me, it’s the sound of dial-up internet connecting, the reem paper printers and their unique ek-ek-ek-ek sound (if you know you know, links if you don’t), disposable cameras, and the thought of “I’m so glad social media wasn’t a thing when I was a kid”. I can’t count the number of times friends and I have uttered those words while recounting our “young and stupid” days.

Don’t get me wrong, we definitely had our shameful moments (I can’t be the only person who pretended to take a photo, only to find out when you picked up your photos from the photo lab, that you indeed took said picture!). Luckily, the number of people who knew about these embarrassing moments were few in numbers, and usually didn’t say anything to us. Largely out of pity, I’m sure.

The same cannot be said for young people today. Heck, people in general! Nobody who is posting on the internet is safe from what seems like a pack of rabid dogs just waiting to tear you apart. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but for some people, I’m sure it feels that way. A simple Google search will generate an extensive list of people who have been vilified online for their actions…

After taking and posting, a photo with a sign in the Arlington National Cemetery, that was part of an inside joke, Lindsey Stone lost her career and became the target of an onslaught of online attacks.

Tess Thompson Talley posted a photo of herself with a giraffe she had shot while hunting in Africa. Little did she know that this photo would spike outrage and have people sending her death threats.

Jordan Kent voiced his frustration regarding a church defying the Covid lockdown orders in a Facebook post in 2021. Within days he was being accused of pedophilic behaviour, and received threats of a drive-by which was accompanied by a picture of his front door.

In all these cases, people online are attacking individuals because they disagree with their thoughts or actions on a moral level, and that they are wrong. But the internet seems to love nothing more than inciting a riot, and quickly the comments morph from general disagreement to concerning threats. While I think there is value in voicing disagreement with the actions of others, I think the propensity for that to turn into a mob online, results in a missed learning opportunity. If righting a moral wrong is the true motivation, there should be more of a focus on learning and discourse than on harming (mentally, emotionally, or physically) the “offending” party. People have written entire papers on the motivation for this behaviour, that are much more in depth than anything I can address in a blog post.

So, what is the point of this post? Honestly, and I don’t want to sound like that old fuddy-duddy that says “back in my day” but…back in my day, people had empathy. Now maybe this is an insulated view, but I feel like people were allowed to make mistakes and have different opinions. Were there arguments and full-on fights sometimes? Of course! But did people lose their jobs because of a single lapse in judgement? Not that I ever heard of. The next time you see someone post something that makes your blood boil, for whatever reason, take a breath (and maybe some blood pressure meds, sheesh my friend), and remember to have some empathy.