Social and News Media - bringing out the worst in people?

I was in two minds as to whether I should have posted this in the debate room - moderators feel free leave where it is or move this discussion to the debate room.

First of all, I do not participate on any social or news media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, however I do occasionally read the comments section on news articles. I am amazed at the tone of comments left by some people on various news articles of high-profile people.

For example, there are numerous news articles on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and, quite frankly, the level of vitriol heaped on them is, in my view, appalling. I have read similar about other high-profile people whether they are politicians, sports personalities etc.

I agree people are entitled to their opinion, but hatred! Really! Would these same people repeat what they have written to their face?

Social and news media does serve a useful purpose, but it seems to bring out the worst in some people.

How do you feel about this?

 

Never follow someone you admire on social media. You will quickly stop admiring them.

 

No, they wouldn't. The people you're referring to are cowards, and are the reason most news sites have stopped allowing comments.

What you see from them is probably not their worst, but just who they are. I pity them.

 

I’ve spent a lot of time on Twitter recently (not twittering myself, just reading). One thing I learned quickly: Regardless of how good or bad a tweet or the news behind it may be - never ever read the comment section. And unfortunately, it’s the same with online newspaper articles etc. Yes, everyone is free to have their opinion, but for my own sake, I am also free to ignore them. Luckily, it seems to be just what you have described: People blurting out all their hatred, feeling safe within the anonymity of the internet. In my opinion, for now, the effect is limited to making people like you and me (and many others) feel uncomfortable. But I also think it has the potential to be dangerous, so in the long term, blissful ignorance may not be an option.

Having said that, I don’t think it’s really a new phenomenon. It’s similar to the so-called „Stammtischparolen“. I looked it up, and it seems to be something you find particularly here in Germany – the term, not necessarily the phenomenon. Like-minded people come together and rile each other up with hateful – and often wrong – statements. Maybe it has become more evident now because of the broader reach of the internet.

 

One translation I found defined it as 'bumper sticker wisdom', which sounds about right. On most of the news websites I visit that still allow comments, what follows a story about a litter of cute little puppy dogs are invariably nearly all screeds about Trump and/or Biden. I don't know who these people are, and I don't really want to.

I did learn in my research that the numerical value of Stammtischparolen in Chaldean Numerology is: 9. Handy information.

 

Sitting behind a screen gives haters a sense of security. They don't have to make eye contact. It's eye contact that makes cowards back down.

 

Stammtischparolen.

There's my word of the day. Thanks!

 

So often I hear about how social media is ruining society and you can't convince me that this is true. Social media is a wonderful, beautiful tool that opens communication and allows exposure to different ideologies that might otherwise not be possible. I think it is more appropriate to say that it is society and people who are ruining social media. And I don't believe that social media or the Internet, in general, is "bringing out the worse" in people because that was already there. That's how those people were in private. Instead, and others have already brought this up, the Internet has given people a false sense of anonymous security to say the first thing that comes to their mind. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people being clearly proven wrong in a particular comments section and instead of owning up to being wrong and being grateful for the new knowledge, they just delete their comment and then they get to pretend that they never said that ignorant thing to begin with.

Not to mention that when online, they can say what they want and ignore any and all responses. Try saying something about a subject you're ignorant about to somebody who is well-educated on that subject to their face and you risk being made a fool of immediately because you're only other option in face-to-face interactions is to make a comment and then run away before they have a chance to respond.

 

I'm more of the mind that the individuals of society need to get their act together rather than the platforms (same goes for dis- and misinformation). We have so little self control and so much neediness that we have to spend hours on Twitterface trying to score Internet points instead of literally anything else. Even sitting in a room doing nothing is a better way to spend time.

Driving can bring out the worst in someone too: road rage. Or he can choose to maintain composure, poise, and perspective like an adult.

 

Agreed, but, let's see - change the culture of half-a-dozen tech companies' products, or butt heads against 100,000 years of human nature?

 

@Earp

I think your comment got stuck between the quotation brackets.

Define "100,000 years of human nature" because that sounds like a cop-out. Maybe it's not what you're intending to say, but what I'm getting out of this is that you seem to think that humans haven't changed in 100,000 years and never will. But also, what exactly are social media companies doing wrong when it comes to people being mean and hateful when using their platform? Do you have any recommendations on how to change the culture of these products that will somehow circumvent 100,000 years of human nature and how we interact with one another? What are the solutions? More censorship? Please, don't leave me with a 100,000-year cliffhanger.

Also, we're always butting against "human nature" (I'm only using that term because it's the one you chose). That's how we make progress. At my lowest low, I'm a proud misanthrope, but despite how I've been feeling lately, I'm not at the low and am going to avoid that part of my nature. If screaming horrible, hateful things at each other is a part of our nature, then so is the opposite, and so it seems like a lame way of excusing crappy human behavior just to blame corporations (which are human constructs and thus are just as subject to human nature as anything else). I'm not saying that this is what you're trying to say but based off of your very short and general response, that's what I'm getting out of it. Please correct me if I'm misinterpreting what you meant.

 

The clue is in the name.

Twitter is very much the preserve of twits.

 

For me the internet can never be anything but a disaster because it takes the human struggle of sin and temptation and times them by a zillion. Add to that anonymity, political power such as never been dreamed of, not so hidden censorship, floods of paid-for propaganda hinging on skewered research and you have an anti-society being created and manipulated that’s spilling into the real world. The internet might work if there was proper pushback to the evil we’re being offered to engage in, but we’ve been so steadily destroying the foundation that made us moral the pushback is niche, not mainstream.

 

I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I meant. Despite your sea-lioning, I'll put another way: I'll make a deal with you - I'll fix the five guys who run the major social media companies, and you fix the other eight billion people in the world. I'm thinking I'll be done before you.

 

You can fix Five Guys?

 

Wow. Okay. That was incredibly uncalled for. If I knew what you meant, I wouldn't have asked for clarification. I would have just made an assumption and rolled with it. As for sea-lioning, I'm not the one who started the engagement between us. I merely shared my opinion the same as everyone else. But enjoy your pedestal.

 

Thanks to all for your comments.

With regard to online news articles, I think some journalists / reporters purposely take selected 'quotes' uttered by a particular individual(s) and write an article in such a way knowing it will trigger a reaction in the comments section from some of the readership.

So, I think that they are partly to blame for it.

 

Well, it's easier to be your true self when you don't have to worry about getting the shit kicked out of you in the street.

Basically this.

 

It amazes me (but maybe it shouldn't) how many of these people will then scream about their freedom of speech, but nobody stopped them from saying the awful thing they said. The only social media platform I use is Facebook and that's primarily because I have a brother in Canada and it's the best way for us to keep in touch. Otherwise, I occasionally post memes I find funny and that's it. But there's a reason why I don't use my real name, have a picture, or list my employer on my profile. Whether the meme could be considered offensive or not, my employer doesn't need to know me outside of work. And my employer shouldn't be burdened by my antics outside of work, either. Also, living in a small town (a city, really, but it's a "small community"), my boss is someone who is prominent enough within that community and who cares a great deal about his and his company's public image and I try to respect that.

I love it when I see people on social media who say that people should mind their own business when it comes to reading their posts, but they are literally screaming their opinions on a public platform. Even if they're not directing their post at a specific person, I don't see it as any different from loudly proclaiming your opinion in a cafe or grocery store and then being upset when somebody chimes in. It's a matter of airing your dirty laundry in public. When your neighbors are constantly hollering and screaming at each other, you're also a part of that conversation whether you want to be or not.

Edit: I once heard of a contractor let go from a job because he showed up at the customer's home with a bumper sticker that said, "If you're missing your cat, check under my bumper." I have an inappropriate sense of humor. I think that's funny. But that was a silly decision. He tried to argue that it was his personal vehicle. But he drove it to a job site which instantly made it a work vehicle and thus he was representing more than just himself. Funny thing is, it wasn't even the homeowner who was offended. His boss was an avid animal lover and did not appreciate that sort of humor. These are the decisions we make. We set our own priorities. I support his right to sport that bumper sticker. But he made a statement (multiple statements) by doing so, and there were consequences. This isn't a new advent brought on by social media. That could have happened in the '80s just as well as today.