I try to stay up-to-date on social media. I've been known to scroll Twitter every now and then, and I probably post on Facebook more than I should. I think there are a lot of positives to staying so plugged into the pulse of the world. The Internet is a wonderful tool to share ideas, stories, information, and experience. It connects people who wouldn't ordinarily be connected, and it allows me to think about things from a different perspective than my own. However, I have to say, for the last month or so, the Internet has made me very, very sad.
I believe it started with the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando, Florida. Like many Americans, I was bewildered, afraid, and deeply saddened by the events that took place in the early morning of June 12. A tragedy like that should inspire unity and love among people, but the response I saw online was far from that. Almost immediately, my Facebook and Twitter feeds were full of divisive rhetoric. Rather than coming together as a nation, I saw people preaching their own points of view. There were politically-charged posts about Muslims, gun control, LGBT rights, and the role of police. And while I truly believe it's healthy to let tragedy inspire dialogue, it hadn't even been a full day before the majority of people were at each others' throats.
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How did we get to this place? How did our culture get so hateful?
I watched, in awe, as the Internet collectively jumped on Justin Timberlake for tweeting that he felt inspired by Jesse Williams's speech at the BET Awards. They claim Justin Timberlake has stolen from black culture and refuses to use his voice to help with race issues, and maybe that's fair. I am not an African-American and I don't fully understand the significance of cultural appropriation, but the point is that all Timberlake did was say he was inspired and he was forced to apologize. In my eyes, it was an absolute refusal to accept positivity. Rather than appreciating Justin Timberlake for the steps he had taken, the focus fell on the steps he had yet to take. It's gotten to the point where I feel like people are just looking for reasons to be angry.
I look at the controversy surrounding the new "Ghostbusters." It had its detractors before the film even started shooting. Many were upset at the very idea of any sort of remake, but there was a large percentage upset over the idea of casting four women. That is sexism, plain and simple. That's the problem with social media; it grants people with intolerance in their hearts the opportunity to spread their prejudice and remain invisible. Not to mention the latest scuffle Leslie Jones had to endure this past week, with many people on Twitter making fun of her size and race (they compared her to a gorilla). It's sick that a group of people would go after a 48-year-old woman because of the way she looks, but that's the world we've come to know. This kind of nasty talk has consumed the online world and, unfortunately, become the norm.
Why must we be so divided? Why do we put ourselves in these boxes, pitting person against person, and group against group?
Maybe the younger version of myself was just stupid and naive, but I don't remember the world being this angry and mean. Instead of finding common ground and agreeing to disagree, we declare anyone with opposing views to be our "enemy". Everything is so personal now. Casual disagreements quickly turn into intimate attacks. I see a world where you can't even express your support for a candidate or idea without the other side coming after you, personally. I watched as a reality television star went far out of her way to destroy a singer's reputation, and the Internet cheered her on. I've seen debates over whether it should be "Black Lives Matter", "Blue Lives Matter", or "All Lives Matter" when, in reality, all three are true.
There just seems to be no interest in understanding each other anymore. We rarely give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and forgiveness is a foreign concept.
We root for people to fail, and refuse to show mercy when they do.
We don't want to hear what anyone has to say because understanding different perspectives might just require us to think outside ourselves for a second, and consider how someone else feels. It's 100 percent easier to stay set in your ways than to work towards change and understanding, but the best things in life don't come easy.
I'm here to encourage you to strive to be different. The world can be a cruel place sometimes, but you don't have to follow its lead. Be a shining light in a dark room. You can approach conflict from a place of compassion. You can realize that you aren't going to be right all the time, and admit when you're wrong. You can treat others' ideas with respect, while still standing up for your own. You can absolutely approach everything from a position of love. It doesn't mean you're weak. In fact, it will make you stronger than you've ever been.
