The Reality of the Internet

It seems most people just don't realize that while they're sitting on one end of a computer, talking and browsing, everyone they talk to, everyone they come in contact with, are actual people - sitting at their computers just the same. It's not that hard to imagine the person you're talking to sitting at the other end, reading through what you've said... If you've posted a comment on YouTube - it's not hard to imagine the poster of that video reading through what you've written. But the reality of it is... most people don't. or they don't care.

It's easier to believe you can say whatever you want and get away with it - because it's true. You can technically get away with saying just about anything to someone. What you can't do is say anything to someone and them not have their feelings hurt from it. Words are powerful. And as the saying goes, from old Spiderman... "With great power comes great responsibility." It's a pity so relatively few people are responsible. They think little of the power that allows them to heal or hurt minds, little of the hearts of others.

Is this what our society is really like? Do so many people feel fine, deep down, with doing whatever they want, so long as they can get away with it? Firedog2763 is a name you might not be able to match to a face - it's a mask. The happy kitten picture on a profile is a mask. Everyone wears masks - they feel safer in their anonymity. And in their anonymity, they feel they can do whatever they want. Even if it's just trolling or being obnoxious for the sake of it - it affects everyone who reads it. And so many people don't care.

I'm sure this has been posted in various forms half a hundred times. I'm sure I'm far from being original with any of this. But maybe - just maybe... Maybe someone will read this and stop and think - think about the little girl sitting at her computer, crying as she reads the hateful comments some nice folk have left her as they visited her page... Maybe they'll think about the depressed guy who's near to committing suicide as he reads the spamming of "get your worthless garbage off YouTube"... Maybe they'll take the time to stop by someone's page - someone who they normally wouldn't talk to - and say, "Hey... You're doing better than I could. Keep your chin up - best wishes to you."

That alone would make this blog worthwhile.