Our Society is Officially Ruined

By Marité Mezquita May 10th, 2024

"They are both disgusting spoiled brats." – (Facebook Comment on a Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Picture, May 11th, 2024.)

Hate comments on social media are ruining our society. I found this comment today and thought, "What is going on?" Judging is part of our nature; however, we have no boundaries, and we are hurting people online. Also, people are acting on social media in a way that would resemble a jungle if they acted similarly in real life. However, people don’t realize that what we say about ourselves talks more about ourselves than others; we are showcasing the worst aspects of ourselves through the Internet.

Judging is part of our nature; it’s completely normal. However, when it comes to the internet, we have no boundaries, and we are hurting people. “At its core, being judgmental involves making assessments or forming opinions about others, often without full knowledge of their circumstances or motivations. This process is a natural part of human cognition, aiding us in navigating social interactions and making decisions.” (Julie Dodson, MA (May 5, 2024). ) Even though judging is normal, offending, intimidating, and diminishing people should not be and this hurts people. There is a small line between having an opinion or bias and hurting others, and this line on the internet is blurry and not very clear. For example, Karla Panini is known as the “Most hated woman in Mexico.” People tell a story about her where she married her best friend’s husband while her friend was sick with cancer and passed away alone. People offend her, intimidate her, and diminish her every day on her social channels. I can’t tell you if she’s right or wrong or if the story is true or not, but I often think about the consequences of hate in her life. For example, her daughters. What might people tell them at school? Again, I can't tell you what is right or wrong. But I would like to ask, would you say that to her face? Would all the people writing these comments say all that stuff to her face.

People are acting on social media in a way that would resemble a jungle if they acted similarly in real life. Hailey Bieber is known for marrying Justin Bieber and hated for it as well. She said in a video that once a woman left a message in a comment saying, “You’re a whore,” and she said that in the lady’s profile description reads “Mother of 2, faith in Christ Matthew 3:8.” And she thinks that’s very confusing. Do you think this woman would go out of nowhere and say to Hailey's face, “You’re a whore”. We can indeed be rude in person, but I see people are way worse online and more frequently. What people ignore is we reveal our beliefs and behaviors when we judge, letting others know what is in our minds.

What we say about ourselves talks more about ourselves than others; we are showcasing the worst aspects of ourselves by leaving these hateful comments online. “A study found that how positively you see other people shows how satisfied you are with your own life and how much you are liked by others. In contrast, negative perceptions of others are linked to higher levels of narcissism and antisocial behavior. A huge suite of negative personality traits is associated with viewing others negatively. The simple tendency to see people negatively indicates a greater likelihood of depression and various personality disorders." Wood says. For example, comments like "She looks ridiculous with that blouse" could mean they would feel ridiculous with that blouse, so it's more about what they feel, not about the actual truth. Basically, we are likely to see in others what we see in ourselves. Consider what you are revealing about yourself when criticizing others.

Right now, there are no boundaries online. We act like children on social media, and we are revealing the worst within ourselves. Social media is a platform where the worst behaviors are normalized, contributing to the deterioration of society. We fail to recognize each other as fellow humans behind screens, exhibiting behaviors worse than children and perpetuating our societal issues. Let's strive to make the internet a better place by reconsidering what we are about to say before posting.

References

Wake Forest University, (August 3, 2010). What you say about others says a lot about you, research shows. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802165441.htm

Julie Dodson, MA (May 5, 2024). Why Am I Being Judgmental? Better help. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/why-am-i-being-judgmental/