By Richard Ray:
Some of you may really want to look at your timeline on Facebook and Twitter and make sure that the people you list as friends are really not foes.
I understand that talks of politics and religion amongst casual friends is never recommended, but in the world of social media where you get to experience more of your friends and acquittances thoughts than you ever wanted, you still need to take note at some of the recklessness that is coming out of people’s accounts, regularly, on social media.
I am not big on political correctness. I think it has gotten confusing and out of control to a degree. However, political incorrectness is not to be confused with emboldened racism and hate that people have gotten way too comfortable emanating behind their computers or phones.
They are called smart phones but allow for stupidity on epic levels. People tweet and post without given much thought to how offensive their behavior is, or worse do so willingly and with knowledge of its offense. Posts have the capacity to be permanent. All someone has to do is take a picture and your bigotry, hate, misogyny, transphobia is marked in perpetuity.
I am on Facebook and Twitter only related to diaryofamamdmind.com. I have 35oo Facebook friends, most that I do not admittedly know well. The tumultuousness of the past election cycle and the divisive that has become more vocal has made me take more note of who some of these people that I allow to be called friends. I am amazed at the blatant hate and racism that people are so comfortable spouting. I am equally amazed when I see that how many POC appear to be friends with people via social media who clearly have decided that the POC are the scourge of “American” society.
The above picture is extreme, but some of you need to read through your “friends” timelines and see that you know people who if they are not directly posting such filth, are liking, sharing or agreeing with comments. If such people are not really your friends, then you need to edit your friends list. If somehow they really are, you need to take the time and check these people. At the very least try and educate them to how divisive and hurtful such posts can be.
Social media platforms are here to say… Every asshole has an opinion… There is very little you can do about it… but you do not have to extend their platform by allowing them on your timelines. It’s not exactly a hard activist stand, but while free speech is one of the United States’ most valued attributes, we do not have to support and help promote bigotry and hate… In these times, just a suggestion but check your friends’ timelines whenever a sensitive national topic is in the news… it really may be eye opening.
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#Facebook, #Twitter, #socialmedia, #Internet, #emboldenedracists,
