It’s no secret that sometimes seemingly reasonable people seem to fly off the handle when posting on social media, saying things they’d never think of saying about or to another person when speaking in person?
Why does this happen? A prominent psychologist says this type of social media rage is actually a lot like road rage. We all know (or maybe are) a person who is pretty mellow in daily life who absolutely flies off the handle and loses it behind the wheel. They lose all empathy for other people and let fly with profanity and insults.
Apparently it’s for the same reason. When isolated in their vehicle, people don’t feel connected to the drivers around them and become angrier and more aggressive. You’re even more isolated from the people you insult on social media and it can be difficult for people to remember that there are actual human being on the receiving end of those insults.
While Twitter rage doesn’t lead to multi-car pile ups – acting in anger on social media can lead to hurt feeling and broken relationships and some suicides have been linked to social media abuse.
As always it’s best to think before you post, honk or Tweet.
~ Cynthia
I’m sick to bleeping death of these incessant darn polls!! Have you not got something better . . . Of course it is not acceptable to abuse other people. It is a sad reflection on that person’s character if they feel they can hurl abuse indescriminately. It all starts with politeness. Karma – people 🙂
Yes, I definitely think some people blurt out the first thing that comes to their mind, without thinking of the consequences. However, they do feel less threatened if they can express their rage anonymously. It seems that we don’t follow the advice given in the first chapter of James, verses 1-2: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (NKJV).
For some reason, there are people who feel the need to comment on every story, and if the comments aren’t just outright mean, they obviously have an agenda: blame the president! blame gun owners! blame obamacare! blame a conspiracy! That is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE what Curt Schilling did in tracking down the Twitter trolls who commented on his daughter. Who do they think they are and why do they think it’s ok to do what they did?? What is happening to our society?
I feel that some of what I have read are complete nonsense and thoughtless and I often think seriously of getting out of it entirely. I am 84.
Bob,
why allow some mean spirited nitwits to make you feel that way? It isn’t going to change them, but it will change you and your place in this world.
There must be people in your life who love you and want you around for a very long time. I feel as you do about the nerds who open their mouths only to spill out garbage, but I’ll be darned if I am going to let them spoil my life or make me want to bail out. Stay around as long as you can. Just block out the idiots.
My kids (7 adult children, most with their own children) hang out on Facebook with each other and they have gotten into some of the worst fights…both with each other and each other’s friends. I feel as though I spend a lot of time smoothing ruffled feathers. I’ve tried to explain to them that opinions are like a$$holes….everyone’s got one. Some are clean and some not so much! Just because everyone is flashing theirs doesn’t mean it’s time to bare it all. Hopefully they will learn to take things with a grain of salt, sooner rather than later. While their brothers and sisters are still talking to them 🙂
That is exactly why I do not belong to any social media. I often find myself thinking “If I had Twitter or Facebook, I would tell them what I think…” and most of the time it is negative. There is way too much of that in this sad world we live in and I don’t want to add to it. Karma indeed….
Your smart, stay away!
People are so disgusting on SM! I often ask them if they have a conscious.
Hello. And Bye.