In-person talks still better than social media

Poll finds too many either experienced or witnessed harassment online

Odds are, if you spend time online, you’ve either been a victim of online harassment or you’ve witnessed harassment of others.

According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 42 percent of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment, while 66 percent of respondents have witnessed other people being harassed, the Associated Press reports.

The internet is a powerful medium, allowing individuals to express themselves in real time, no delay. Opinions fly faster than the speed of sound, as people rush to throw their thoughts out on the information superhighway.

In many ways, that’s part of the beauty of the internet, the ability to express oneself on one’s chosen platforms.

But at the same time, that beauty has a dark, dangerous side, where people post behind the protective screen of their computer monitors, without care of anyone else’s feelings.

The Washington Post recently ran a fascinating story about two guys who are taking a crosscountry trip with an interesting twist. The two wanted to see “whether technology and social media have shrunk the world down so much that everyone is now connected to one another through, at most, four introductions.”

Along the way, the pair found that “entrenched divisions online don’t necessarily carry over into the physical world,” the Washington Post reports. The two found that during actual physical conversations, people could state their opinions, and appreciate their differences. Their experiences give me hope. I’ve seen tremendous kindness on social media, but I’ve also seen more of that darker side than I imagined possible. I struggle to understand how people can be so cruel to one another.

I think it’s healthy to step back a bit from social media, and make connections personally. It’s easy to misinterpret someone’s intentions in a short post, and it’s easy for people to fly off the handle. Having a conversation with someone in person, where one can see someone’s face and movements, and hear their tone of voice, can make all the difference in understanding.

I wish there was an easy way to fix social media, but the challenges there run very deep. However, stepping back for a few moments, and thinking before posting, would do so much to make social media better.

And when in doubt, have a personal interaction and a civil conversation with someone about topics of interest. Listen to their viewpoints, share your own, and in the end, draw up new conclusions together, or agree to disagree.

If only people could interact like that online, social media would be a much improved forum!

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?