When I was growing up, we constantly heard “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.” Now, roughly three decades later we often react to things before thinking. We comment, either using technology or in person, before we have all the information. It is easy to do and I believe we have all done this countless times. However, once you reacted... you can’t undo the impact made; even if you edited/deleted the comment and even apologized. The remarks can and will still leave a lasting impression on those they were directed to.
But, what led us to jump to the quick responses? We could easily blame the shift of civil discourse on politics, generational changes or simply changes in technology. I believe that something that lead to the unraveling was when we were pushed to react on Facebook, instead of responding or simply scrolling on.
When Facebook introduced reaction buttons: “Like,” “Love,” “Angry,” “Sad,” and the rest, it seemed to have altered how people engage with ideas, with one another, and with reality itself. What was once a space for communication quickly became a battle grounds for opinions. We see anger and outrage almost daily, spreading like wildfire through our feeds as someone disagrees with you. Worse still, reactions have dehumanized conversation. When disagreement is reduced to an angry face or a laughing emoji, empathy disappears. The human cost of this is visible everywhere.
This is not to say social media is horrible, or that emotional expression has no place in public life. But the elevation of reaction over reflection has changed our society. We are more connected than ever, yet less capable of understanding one another. We consume outrage daily, mistaking it for engagement, and wonder why we feel exhausted, divided and even cynical.
The shift didn’t hit society quickly; it crept in quietly, slowly increased the rift and deepened the divide in various ways. I truly don’t know how we will get back to being empathic to one another. Our society is in a sad place and in order for us to succeed we must all try to understand whatever that other side might be and choose to communicate civilly with one another.
Above all, always be humble and kind.
Robin Wunderlich
Quote of the Week
“I’m always asked, ‘What’s the secret to success?’ But there are no secrets. Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.” ~ Dwayne Johnson
