I blame my Granny for this; or at least tabloid-type magazines that could always be found in her bathroom. Globe. Star. The Enquirer. "Enquiring minds want to know." It's true. They do.
It may have been those magazines that gave me my first real taste of wanting to be up-to-date on current events (even though the events were often untrue). My inquiring mind would usually have an opinion. Back in the day, having an opinion meant shaking my head at the fact that Dolly Parton had gotten another reconstructive surgery. Or Granny and I could discuss the events leading up to the night Princess Di lost her life.
It's different now.
Social media (which I love for many reasons) has an unending menu of events to read about. Articles on moral and political issues and world events are at the tap of your finger. You don't even have to go to the check-out aisle of your supermarket if you're wanting to read biased or incomplete information regarding current events. After reading about such issues and events, one usually finds that they have a comment. Now days when I, or anyone else wants to discuss such events, we have a much bigger audience than Granny. Social media has become a playground for the bored and the bullyish. It's a place to inquire and then insult or threaten anyone who doesn't agree with you.
Thankfully I've never I experienced any mean-spirited comments personally. It seems that most of the hateful things people say are to strangers. I guess it's easier to be insulting to someone you never intend to face. It's also a little safer to be courageous when commenting online. We teach our children (I think most of us do) not to bully. But there are so many who go online and lose their wits when it comes to giving their opinion. Online speech seems so often to be laced with anger and hate.
Then of course there are the spiteful commenters that care little about the issue. They care more about taunting. I think some of them might be the same people who pulled the legs off of Grand Daddy Long-Leg spiders just for the fun of it.
The following are comments I read in the comments thread regarding two recent events. The first event is the Hobby Lobby case that went to the Supreme Court. It was decided that Hobby Lobby would not have to provide employee coverage on four types of abortifacient birth control methods that violated their religious conscience.
The second event I read about yesterday. A Texas Tech cheerleader went on a hunt in South Africa. She legally killed several animals, giving some of the meat to local villagers. She took pictures of herself with the animals she killed. A rhino that she is pictured with was only tranquilized to receive medical attention for a leg injury. I am not a hunter. I don't even fish. But I'm flabbergasted at the response this girl has received.
When deciding to use direct quotes for example, it didn't take long to find a variety of unnecessary responses. Keep in mind that I didn't post any of the many comments that included profanity or vulgarity.
Common Poor Commenting Tactics (Suggesting some of us need a break from social media):
1. Use of false analogies.
So, I'm curious.
If your boss is Muslim, and requires you to wear a burqa at work, because of his religious convictions, you're all for it, right?
You know, because of his religious freedoms.
2. Use of one or more colorful words to call someone a loose woman though 1.They have given you no reason to believe such and 2.The fact of whether or not they are of loose morals has nothing to with the issue at hand.
3. Making uninformed comments.
-Usually uninformed because you have not read the article in its entirety.
Birth control pills are quite commonly used to help with health issues like PCOS or endometriosis. Now we are denying medicine to treat a health condition because of its other use.
Sixteen types of birth control are covered by Hobby Lobby. Whereas the sixteen approved are used to treat conditions such as the above mentioned, the "morning after pills" which Hobby Lobby is not covering, are not as far as I can tell.
4. Assuming that you know someone's political leaning or their faith based on a single comment. And then attack that leaning, or that faith.
5 Responding to someone by talking about their lack of attractiveness.
6. Intentionally going to sites that you know are disagreeable to your beliefs.
7. USING CAPS LOCK TO MAKE YOUR POINT!!
(or usage of multiple exclamation marks)
FOR THE VERY LAST TIME! DO NOT COMMENT IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL NOT BEING COVERED! IT IS STILL COVERED!
8. Insulting someone's intelligence instead of calmly stating why you disagree or by stating facts.
I think there is an overpopulation of dumb bimbos in the world, should we put retards like you in a fenced area and hunt you down? It will be for the common good of all people....We need to stop hereditary retardation from passing on to your offspring. we kill you, we kill the disease.
9. Making fun of their spelling or grammar.
10. Making wild generalizations.
Thanks for not giving me the choice to my own body. Can I get carrots banned because I want to?
killing just for fun is sick and horrible. every person who needs that kind of recognition has inferiority complexes. what surprise....she is from Texas
.
Because people from Texas like killing for fun, They also all have inferiority complexes....
11. Wishing for or threatening harm
Because of hobby lobby's war on women, it's little consolation that as a Christian I'm 100% certain the owners will burn in Hell.
Can't decide which one I want to burn down first, Hobby Lobby or SCOTUS.
I hope all five conservatives on the high court BURN IN HELL!
12. Wishing for their death
Hopefully an animal takes you down soon
Unnecessary comments come from all sides; Christian, left, right, meat eaters and public breast feeding fans. Snarkiness and impatience with people we disagree with is just plain old human nature. But why share a comment that holds no good purpose? There's insinuation that in our passionate commenting, we all want to make the world a better place. The fact is, the world would be a better place with a lot less poor commenting.