The ever rapid news cycle provides coverage around nearly every corner of the Earth on a platform that opens the floor to trolls and hot headed internet commuters alike to toss their opinions into the gauntlet of endless online debate and debacle. It's so common in fact, it's almost redundant to talk about nowadays.
We see it every time we log onto Twitter and Facebook, and many of us partake in these foul confrontations. One person says one thing, another disagrees, and before you know it, there are thousands of participants typing in a blind rage, yearning to be validated as being on the "right" side of the argument. Snarky tweets and memes are the spearhead of our online defense mechanisms, as we settle for the last word over walking away from a conversation feeling better educated and understanding of the opposition's viewpoint. The epicenter of this culture orients itself around the hotter than ever political climate we live in today.
1. Everyone is to blame
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American politics have been at the forefront of global news for two years with the Trump presidency in full swing. Those who oppose him, and those who support him, have been engaged in a war of words and policy since he was elected, with the battlefield being the internet. Politicians are complacent in this culture as much as their respective supporters are. They tweet at each other, bicker back and forth while literally debating policy on Twitter. Not on the Senate or House floor's, but Twitter. As long as the people in charge are taking part in the world of online battle royals, their supporters will certainly follow suit.
2. Pick your battles
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Reading this article, one may ask, 'Whats so wrong about standing up for what you believe in?' The answer, absolutely nothing. If a person is passionate about something, there is nothing to stop them from spreading the word of their belief, and have every right to share that with others. Let's use a hypothetical, assume one person isn't happy with a policy enacted by the president and another is very pleased with the outcome of said policy. They both post about it and share their thoughts. This culture I'm talking about, ignites a desire in both users to prove to the other why they are wrong in their belief. Whether its about achieving moral high ground, or just plain ego, there is really no reason we need to be engaged in debate every corner we turn on the internet.
3. It's not that deep
Wouldn't it be nice to log onto the internet one day and not see one vile thing that one person said to another simply because of a political disagreement? Turning the other cheek to an online debate, does not make you complacent in whatever it is you are disagreeing with. Human discourse has become so beguiled by political ugliness, if we keep it up, soon we're all going to inherently believe that our neighbors have mal intent simply because they might not align with your belief system. This isn't a call to action to quiet your passions or subdue your beliefs. Its a call to just be decent with each other. I mean my gosh, do we really need to be exposed to such hateful banter day in and day out? Is it unjustified to say we need a little more decency in our online community from a political and civil perspectives? I can't help but believe we will look back on this time with nothing short of embarrassment for our failure to treat each other with respect. So next time you want to comment on a clickbait post, or lock in an argument over social media, rest those Twitter fingers my friends.
