Social Meania

If you've spent any time at all on the internet, you've been exposed to what I call social meania--the phenomenon wherein individuals share their not-so-nice side, publicly or anonymously. Using tools designed to bring us closer as a means to manufacture distance.

My personal experience was this: out hiking near some waterfalls with my 9 month old daughter and my partner, I happen to take a picture (okay, a few) of my daughter and I on the trail. She's strapped to my chest in one of those Ergo carriers, and I manage to get one shot of her looking dead into the camera (if you have a 9 month old or have been around them, you'll know that this is no easy feat).

Just look at that face!
Also, I need a haircut.

Ecstatic, I post the picture to facebook with the following caption: "No big deal, just trailblazing." And, we continued on our way.

Some minutes later, I'm eager to see if any of my distant family members or friends have seen the picture and have commented. Exciting! Someone has!

Then I read this:

Hate to be THAT guy, but you are not the first guy to take a selfie with a baby strapped tp your chest. Not that trailblazing...

...

oh.

And you know what? I knew better than to let that bring me down, because it's no secret when someone is being "difficult" and is therefore not worth your time, but that sad thing is, it did bring me down. It really upset me. Because something so pure as a picture of me and my daughter, meant to be shared with friends and family (whom I've not seen in almost a year now), had been twisted and corrupted to being about one individual's vendetta against--what? Selfie photos?

These Are People, Not Pixels

There's a mix of emotions here, even as I'm writing this some weeks after the incident, but we'll pass over those for now and ask some questions that will hopefully help us understand the trend here.

• Why is it so much easier to hate than to love? Is this even true?
• Is this a recent phenomenon, or a time-old issue?
• If recent, what contributing factors are there to this trend? Sure, anonymity plays a role, but this was facebook--this was a public comment from someone I think of as a friend.

Our Goal This Week--Online or Off

Consider what's getting you all hot and bothered about those you love, then ask yourself, "Is ______ more important to me than treating my friend/lover/family with the respect that they deserve?"

Oh, it's not?

Then let's stop acting like it.