Students should know importance of respectful etiquette on social media

Free speech is a wonderful concept, until it’s taken too far. The springboard is often social media, because it’s easier to say what normally couldn’t be said face-to-face in an area where no one really knows one another.

While yes, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, there’s no excuse for belittling others for having an alternative belief.

Disagreement is a part of human nature, but what needs to be put into consideration is how people disagree and to be aware of how cruel and threatening words sound once they’re written down. 

Words hold a lot more power than people think.

Social media is often the place where it’s now dangerous to exchange ideas. Once someone writes something not everyone agrees with, those who disagree attack that person like a pack of piranhas.

Often I look at the political forum on Facebook out of mild curiosity. And then I make the mistake of looking at the comment section.

Every time, I regret looking at what people have to say, because there are so many negative comments.

Even though people have a right to their opinion, that doesn’t mean it’s morally right to trample on someone else’s opinion. 

Senior Xavier Wright said he handles online negative comments differently depending on how hostile they are.

“If it’s about race, I would reply aggressively,” he said.

Wright said he tries to be more sensitive when responding to topics like religions.

“If I don’t know anything on it then I won’t speak on it,” he said.

Other students take a different approach.

If they can’t say anything nice in response to a negative comment, as senior Megan Bartels said, “I usually just ignore them.”

It would be much better if people had something constructive to say, or even politely ask questions. Often when students are online they throw out all human decency and act like small children.

Despite the fact that not all students know everyone on social media, what seems to be forgotten rather quickly, is that they’re human too. They have thoughts and feeling of their own.

Shooting down someone’s opinion just because it doesn’t seem right, or appears to be wrong isn’t the correct approach.

There are ways to word opinions online that will diminish the onslaught of aggressive responses.

“There’s absolutely a way to form posts online that won’t offend peoples opinions, but I also don’t believe everyone’s opinion matters, like a Nazi or a rapist,” Wright said.

Students should consider if they would actually speak the words they wrote down out loud if those people on social media were actually in front of them.

“If there was more of an effort to be more respectful then people wouldn’t be as offended,” Bartels said.

Writing should be the equivalent of speaking: ideas should be given a lot of thought before they’re put on display where everyone can see them.

Students should be aware that while they have a right to their opinion, it’s how they word and portray that opinion that matters.