When we hear about public humiliation as a punishment, most people grow uncomfortable and find it inhuman. We are sent back to the Salem witch trials and the stocks we see at Colonial Williamsburg. I, too, have the same feeling towards it, however, we tend to forget about our feelings towards public humiliation when it comes to social media.
Every day, I have a new story on my timeline about shaming someone who did something wrong. These post usually involve racism, sexism, abuse, or cruel crimes against those with disabilities. Now, most people would want this person to be punished. However, when you observe the remarks the wrongdoers are receiving, we find that we are not much better than him. We observe mentions that threaten him with killings and women being shamed are thrown with threatens of rape. We find the harsher they are, the more attention they receive.
We find it weird that hangings and stocks were popular entertainment events in the olden days, but we are doing the same thing. We shame people on social media because what they're doing is bad/harmful, right? Or are we actually doing it because we are bored and want to gain attention from its relevancy? We watch with joy as a person's life goes up in flames. Kinda like how they used to enjoy watching witches burn at the stake.
On the other hand, I want to talk about the people who end up posting these mistakes on the internet. I do not believe that these people experiencing backlash are completely innocent. It is generally an easy issue to steer clear from. What you wouldn't say in public, you probably shouldn't say on the internet. And if you do feel comfortable saying things, including offensive language or actions, you probably need to be put in your place. These people need to realize that what they say portrays who they are. The internet should not be open to those who use it in harmful ways.
The overall moral of this post is easy:
1. Don't be an offensive jerk on social media
2. Do not punish the wrongdoer with equally offensive remarks, rather educate them on why they are incorrect
3. Do not just believe and follow everything online
Every day, I have a new story on my timeline about shaming someone who did something wrong. These post usually involve racism, sexism, abuse, or cruel crimes against those with disabilities. Now, most people would want this person to be punished. However, when you observe the remarks the wrongdoers are receiving, we find that we are not much better than him. We observe mentions that threaten him with killings and women being shamed are thrown with threatens of rape. We find the harsher they are, the more attention they receive.
We find it weird that hangings and stocks were popular entertainment events in the olden days, but we are doing the same thing. We shame people on social media because what they're doing is bad/harmful, right? Or are we actually doing it because we are bored and want to gain attention from its relevancy? We watch with joy as a person's life goes up in flames. Kinda like how they used to enjoy watching witches burn at the stake.
On the other hand, I want to talk about the people who end up posting these mistakes on the internet. I do not believe that these people experiencing backlash are completely innocent. It is generally an easy issue to steer clear from. What you wouldn't say in public, you probably shouldn't say on the internet. And if you do feel comfortable saying things, including offensive language or actions, you probably need to be put in your place. These people need to realize that what they say portrays who they are. The internet should not be open to those who use it in harmful ways.
The overall moral of this post is easy:
1. Don't be an offensive jerk on social media
2. Do not punish the wrongdoer with equally offensive remarks, rather educate them on why they are incorrect
3. Do not just believe and follow everything online
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