The online world can be pretty easily predicted. It is fairly simple to see the patterns in what kinds of things will pick up speed and get exposure. Especially if you know your audience; angry Twitter social justice warriors, nostalgic Facebook moms, inquisitive and philosophical would-be writers. If what you write or post is relevant or relatable people will share at a ridiculously high rate no matter the real quality of the post itself. Three word phrases of pleas to a higher power for the salvation of our souls or our country. In these horrific and astray it is easy to prey on the lost and the latest catastrophe.

The internet contains a stark contrast between those who put bible verses in their online biographies and those who proclaim that even if there is a god, he has given up on us. Countless writings about God strengthening our faith in these oh so hardest of teen times. Wistful adults spread it around in memory of the days when their souls were adrift. I keep the status of my relationship with God to myself, with good reason. I have no need for the drawn out paragraphs about why I might be losing faith or why it is stronger than ever. The religious, or lack thereof, need not feed on my views of the afterlife. My name does not need to carry the weight of any deity to matter.

The United Sates is in crisis. Day in and day out there is a devastation, every one greater than the last. People put up multi-thousand word posts about the worst thing that has happened recently and the rest of us eat it up like no other. Reposting and sharing tirelessly as if not spreading it around means you don’t care or are uneducated about current events or injustice. The world places this pressure on us to make pointless posts and use the latest hashtag that will improve hardly anything. The easiest way to get attention or gain followers online is to spout declarations of outrage about the law or what it lacks to have prevented the travesty. I cannot prove to you what I believe in a short post nor can I change the actual course of events. I refuse to gain anything from the unfortunate events that take place in our country and around the world.

I will not capitalize on God or tragedy. The envy that is rooted in us today makes it easy for us to use whatever resource is at hand to become more popular than the people we know. Like online recreation is some kind of sick competition, which is an issue in itself, and your follower or friend count is your trophy. It is easiest to partake in the benefits that come from discussing the sadness in us or society, but what does society gain from all of us pressing ‘send’ instead of taking action?