Does Social Media Etiquette Even Exist Anymore?

I want you to think back to the last time someone made a comment to your face that really hurt your feelings. Maybe it was a few weeks ago, or maybe it was many years ago. Either way, can you recall the exact words that said person used? More than likely, you probably can. Why is that, though? Maybe it's because those words were not just a part of a normal conversation that you would forget about the next day, but instead, they affected you on an emotional level. Those words caused you to feel something whether you wanted to or not. The same goes for comments made on posts or videos. Whether it's a good or bad comment, you will develop certain emotions that can ultimately even change the way you perceive yourself or someone else.  

    

We all grew up hearing the phrase, "Treat people how you would like to be treated," but how many of us actually live our lives in accordance with this saying? No, really, think about it. We tend to believe that just because we may have a better home life, earn more money, or have a job that is seen as superior according to the social status we unofficially assign to them that we are better than others. We live in a competitive society where we are always trying to outdo each other. Although there are advantages to living in this type of society, such as it pushes us to become better at our work or hobby, there are also quite a few disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that, in many cases, it causes us to respond to situations irrationally. We tend to see this constantly on social media, especially in the comments section on posts. Now, I want you to think back to the last time you saw a comment on a post or reel on a social media platform such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. If you try to keep up with the current trends and are on one of these apps at least once a day, if not numerous times, then I'm sure you can easily remember viewing a comment that was intended to cause agony among a particular individual or a group of people. In fact, you can probably recall dozens and dozens of comments that are similar to that, but why? Why are there so many harsh comments online? Well, here's the most simplified answer: people are insecure. We are all human beings and have grown up in a world where it is so easy to compare ourselves to each other and become jealous of one another. Although the majority of us have learned to keep our insecurities and jealous demeanors to ourselves, some choose to share their thoughts and opinions online. Now, I'm not entirely sure if people think that saying hurtful things on the internet is acceptable, but many people tend to still do it. I believe that those who post negative comments on platforms wouldn't do so if it were the other way around and people were bashing them. The same goes for you, I'm sure you don't want to receive hurtful comments on your own posts or videos, so don't do it to someone else.  

Overall, my intent with this blog was to get you to think and check yourself before you make a comment online and imagine how that would affect the person on the other side of the screen. Remember, if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, then you probably shouldn't post it online.