Several weeks ago I wrote about the addiction of Facebook and put the challenge out to give up facebook for a month and then write a blog about how their life might have changed due to giving up this addiction. Well, I got no takers which surprised me. Not really! I just wasn’t sure if anyone would take the challenge seriously.
Before the presidential election, social media postings were very hateful, belligerent and downright deplorable. People didn’t hesitate to share their vote (what happened to the secret ballot?) and criticize those who didn’t agree with them. This behavior, in my humble opinion, was fueled in part by the candidates and their handlers who were constantly spreading exaggerated untruths about their opponents. The fact that politicos are well known for hating and endorsing candidates depending on the time of day and what they can get out of it, makes the system lose credibility. Added to that, the well-known fact that the news and social medias were not reporting the news but creating what they wanted people to know about the political candidates. Now we have to spend more energy deciphering fake news, false news and true news!
Despite everything, the people voted and we now have a President-elect, but the hatred and criticism has not stopped. People now have more to post if their candidate didn’t win. Facebookers are unfriending their family members and others are actually divorcing their partners because of the outcome of the election. Kids are walking out of schools, crying rooms are being set up for colleges students, and people are still rioting and protesting. This is a great example of showing the other countries of the world how spoiled brats act in America when they don’t get their way.
Hatred will go on forever and Facebook is a good platform for people who want to spew and have nothing better to do, but life is too short to be constantly trying to incite trouble.
I am sick of it and might just take my own challenge by getting off facebook for some peace of mind.
Unfortunately, hatred is easy to hang on to, and social media is an easy way to spread that vitriol. Especially with the “class” of candidates that we had to choose from. I actually experienced the exact opposite of your challenge. I have rarely been on Facebook, but with being somewhat incapacitated thru the elections, I had plenty time to review the events surrounding the elections and actually took to Facebook to express my thoughts on how the media circus misrepresented the chain of events, creating more of a spectacle, and influencing high levels of controversy among the populous. My intention was to use the social media as a constructive format, yes…to criticize the media, but also to encourage individuals NOT to be sheep to be led by a biased media, but to verify the “news”, gather their own facts, and make their own educated choices. While I will not pay any credence to hateful comments, I encourage thoughtful debates on the subject…by understanding others perspective we can create a better and a well-formed decision. You are welcome to strike the link if you like, but I have included it as a layman’s perspective on the sad state of our professional journalists. Thanks, Ron https://www.facebook.com/ron.kollitz.5/posts/1163000390422407