What a treat it was last week to scroll through my Facebook feed filled with birthday greetings. It wasn’t until I saw these posts from friends near and far that I realized how taxing it is to wade through posts spewing outrage, anger, and distress every day. Name calling and accusatory posts are the norm as we announce our opinions to our followers; the fallout from the hate-filled, one-sided, nonstop messaging is severe:
- Social media stops being social.
- Social media stops being civil.
- Social media starts looking eerily like traditional media: one-way message delivery.
- We lose the ability to have a discussion with those whose opinions differ from ours.
- Name calling takes the discussion away from the real issues.
- We’re losing contact with family and friends.
These thoughts were validated for me when I attended Maine Public Relations Council’s annual meeting the day after my birthday. Andy Serwer, editor in chief of Yahoo! Finance joined a panel discussion addressing fake news. His advice for those in attendance when it comes to sharing our thoughts on social media: “Keep the discourse civil.” Please, let’s do that:
- Be kind and respectful when you speak online.
- Post your opinions as though you’re stating them to your best friend.
- Let’s have meaningful, healthy conversations again.
We’ll all be happier and healthier if we remember how much we have in common as we address the difficult, important issues facing us. Give it a try; let me know how it works out for you.
