In
the age of social media, humans has engaged actively with each other, bringing
debate virtually and connecting opinions with facts. As much as the
optimization of Internet to discuss and engaged in intellectual discourse,
there’s so much limitation to what we really have to say.
Engagement
on the Internet gives time to the audience to compose their thoughts, thus a
user might be responding after some research and deep understanding of the
context of debate they are in. Most users never really took the time to think
about their arguments and usually resorts to ad hominem. This engagement
usually needs to nowhere, when ideas and opinions should be discussed
critically.
While
most Internet users seeks social media as an escapism; a place for fun and
relaxing medium, some used social media to educate and discuss important
topics. Dissemination of information is faster on social media, and users are
free to discuss their opinions. Opinions in the meantime, could be shaped by
bigotry, sexism, or racism, for which it appears to be something that we
believe in, by nurture. This is why rape or racist jokes, for example, still
become a common thing to us.
Due
to our differing opinions on how a society should be shaped and run, these
clashes has led to arguments and debate. It is a healthy culture for people to
question, it is a practice of freedom of speech and expression. The question
is, when do we find end to debates? Will we ever find something that we will
agree on, or we just followed and believe what we believe in, without resorting
to insults or emotional attacks to those who have different opinions as we do?
To
debate or not, we can always pick our battles. There are people out there up
for trolls and throw mean words, but we can always have time to respond calmly
and choose not to engage with them. Be wise while using the Internet can never
hurt. As they say, never feed the trolls.
Being
active in social media for so long, there’s so much limitation to our thoughts
and how others might interpret it. Twitter for example, the limit to 140
characters and fast-paced updates has led to many debates sparked left
undiscussed and often diverted into personal attack, and sometimes involves
targeted harassment.
It
is time for us to realize that it is someone’s liberty to disagree with us, and
it is okay. Let’s see things from different perspectives for a while and we
might find something that we can agree on. We might have different opinions,
but life is not always black and white. Sometimes it’s grey. Everything is
possible, and one day our thoughts and perspectives changed over the time, due
to our encounter and experience. In the meantime, we can always listen to
others for their thoughts, embrace the truth and abandon the rotten part of it.
Comments