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The Social Media Mob

Social media is a fascinating entity. It's allowed us to connect friends and family, no matter where they may reside. It's allowed us to interact with complete strangers on the other side of the world. It's helped limit total control of what would otherwise be dictatorial governments. It's helped bring people together to fight for equality and progress in other areas. Where there are pros, there are cons, however, and one of the most frustrating aspects of social media has been a certain mob mentality, which has infected both sides of the political spectrum. For as much as I hate to say it, the left is just as guilty as the right (if not more so) on this issue.

If one person, typically of the celebrity variety, makes a controversial comment on a social media site, there seems to be an instant horde of people condemning him/her. There have been times when the original poster has been able to ignore such vitriol, but other times when said vitriol has led them to close their account, even go to such lengths as committing suicide.

Whenever I think about social media in modern times, I attempt to compare it to the real world, because let's be honest, half of what we say or do in front of the computer monitor or smartphone we wouldn't say or do in real life (and that's likely and understatement). So when the social media mob attacks a person, I think to myself, "Would they even think about doing this if the celebrity were near them in public? These people are probably from all over the country. Would they seriously fly out to this spot to ridicule this individual? What would that look like? How long would it take before the police arrived? How many would get arrested?" Chances are no, it wouldn't happen.

Also, when an event like this occurs, I ponder about the hypothetical scenario where the reverse is taking place, and instead of being one of the hundreds or thousands of critics, you're the one being criticized. Questions then linger: How would it make me feel?, How would I handle it?, Would I be able to just ignore it?

After critically thinking about these social media mob attacks, I think what troubles me the most is the apparent lack of critical thinking by most of the participants. If an individual truly feels what they post, okay, then so be it, but that often doesn't seem to be the case. Anymore, it feels as though, when a handful of people shout one thing, the herd comes a-following, shouting something similar.

Lastly, at the end of the day, what's the true objective? If a comedian says Aziz Ansari or Louie C.K. deserves another chance, why must they be lambasted for it for hours, even days on end? They have a right to their own opinion just like anyone else. That doesn't make them right or wrong. It just makes them human.

It's quite easy to insult or condemn a person over social media. We don't truly know the person. We'll likely never see them face-to-face. It may sound cliché, but whether online or offline, it should all come back to that old golden rule we were taught in grade school. It's okay for a person to have a differing opinion than you. It's not a crime to believe a convicted criminal deserves a second chance in the world. It's okay to agree to disagree. Just think about it. Because of social media, we can now engage in a debate with someone on the other side of the world. Stand back and soak that in for a moment. Now go back to the computer and try seeing things with a different lens.

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