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Social media is destroying our humanity

4Q Basket Case said:
I've given the title of this thread a lot of thought and thank @crimsonaudio for that mental exercise.

I've come to the conclusion that social media don't destroy humanity. Rather, they reveal humanity by removing any filter.
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My Oregon bud and I have said - more than once - "thank God this wasn't around when we were teenagers, we'd still be apologizing to people." Given how society changed, there's this one classmate I had in high school whom I KNOW is glad his gay jokes aren't out there for consumption. And folks, he wasn't a bad guy, he was a high school student saying things we thought were funny back then. What's bizarre is how society changed from telling "Polish" jokes to "blonde" jokes (and they were mostly the same except for a sexual element from time to time).


4Q Basket Case said:
The outlandish positions, statements and endless provocations are what humans do when they don't think they'll be called to personal account for their actions.

For goodness sake, how many criminals are caught because of what they posted on one forum or another? It honestly never occurs to them that their statements are public record.

There are exceptions, of course, where social media facilitate either physical or mental rescues. But there are far more examples of feeding the maw.

When people are behind a keyboard, not face-to-face with the people they insult, condemn, or otherwise denigrate, they'll say things they'd never say in a different setting. It's exactly parallel to what goes through your mind, unvoiced, in a personal confrontation. Except there is no filter because there are no perceived consequences, real or potential.

To quote the famous philosopher Pogo (for the non-OFC, look him up), "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
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We just fired a 32-year employee/union steward because - are you ready for this - this moron didn't know that when you swipe your badge to go through a door, it is recorded, and he was caught multiple times swiping in at work and then HOURS LATER getting caught swiping in his car at the garage (same badge, the idiot) or swiping to go into a hiding room to sleep while on the clock.

4Q Basket Case said:
It's a crying shame, but social media are not the destruction of humanity. They're who we really are, and always have been, when we think we can get away with it.
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I don't know your views (and to be honest, it doesn't matter in the abstract), but as an evangelical holding to a fallen humanity, bad and evil is more of the rule than it is the exception.
 
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selmaborntidefan said:
I don't know your views (and to be honest, it doesn't matter in the abstract), but as an evangelical holding to a fallen humanity, bad and evil is more of the rule than it is the exception.
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Yeah, there’s a lot of holding people (especially white men) to today’s standards for conduct that was normal and accepted at the time.

Regarding the bolded passage, you’re asking a much bigger question, and I need to ponder. On one hand, I saw enough people under duress do enough bad stuff to agree.

On the other, and admittedly without either hard or soft data, I’d like to believe that when people think they’ll be accountable for their actions or words, they’ll generally do the right thing.

IOW, the threat of embarrassment or legal troubles actually helps to overcome the baser instincts.

That threat is often not perceived when behind a keyboard or otherwise not in person with anyone else.

So do laws and social mores actually help us be better? My initial thought is yes, they do. But I need to think on it.
 
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4Q Basket Case said:
Yeah, there’s a lot of holding people (especially white men) to today’s standards for conduct that was normal and accepted at the time.
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What you just listed is my problem with what's going on in Virginia with the guy running for Attorney General. I'm willing to concede he probably doesn't REALLY want to kill the guy in front of his children, he was probably talking smoke.

But given we live in a world where a teenager (who by definition are stupid - and I was no exception) can lose a scholarship because when he or she was 12 years old, they tweeted a slur against someone whether race, orientation, gender, whatever, this grown man is getting a free pass "because it's important we win."

And I just don't think that's (punishment) necessarily the solution. Call the person in, tell them you're aware they made a stupid mistake when they were young, and they are (in essence) on probation going forward and being watched like a hawk. GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LEARN FROM IT. It's a bit different if they're already in college.


4Q Basket Case said:
Regarding the bolded passage, you’re asking a much bigger question, and I need to ponder. On one hand, I saw enough people under duress do enough bad stuff to agree.

On the other, and admittedly without either hard or soft data, I’d like to believe that when people think they’ll be accountable for their actions or words, they’ll generally do the right thing.

IOW, the threat of embarrassment or legal troubles actually helps to overcome the baser instincts.
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I don't expect everyone (anyone?) to agree, but you just drove home the point: it isn't about doing the right thing, it's about fearing what will happen if you double down on the wrong thing. We had an entire class on this at the seminary, where my history professor drove it home with repeated examples: "none of us in our lives has ever done anything 100% completely from an unselfish motive." Not that we don't do it from 99% selfless sometimes.

The Sermon on the Mount drives home the part with repeated examples: every one of us either has committed physical adultery or we have wanted to do so. Murder, too, and Jesus raises the standard to harsh words to others. I recall attempting to console a person when we were discussing a particular sin of theirs by saying, "The only difference between the two of us is that my reason for not doing (what you did) is fear of the consequences, not because I'm better. And my self-righteousness towards you would be worse."



4Q Basket Case said:
That threat is often not perceived when behind a keyboard or otherwise not in person with anyone else.

So do laws and social mores actually help us be better? My initial thought is yes, they do. But I need to think on it.
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I think they do in the abstract sense of "look, I don't want to go to jail, okay?" But speaking in the larger sense, IN MY OPINION we are more motivated by the fear of consequences for getting caught "being bad" than we are the desire to do well. And even the desire to do well is sometimes hidden under the rubric of a desire to be thought well by someone else, not necessarily loathing the act.

And if I'm wrong, well, so be it.
 
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We/My family grew up in the 60's with Peanuts. The "funny papers" is what we called it in the Sunday paper.

My Mom and Dad really enjoyed "Blondie", too. :)

I maintained a tradition of always giving Mom a Peanuts themed Christmas Card every Christmas. I guess as a way of honoring our family history. Back in the days when Dad was still alive and we were still the original and complete family.

 
selmaborntidefan said:
I think they do in the abstract sense of "look, I don't want to go to jail, okay?" But speaking in the larger sense, IN MY OPINION we are more motivated by the fear of consequences for getting caught "being bad" than we are the desire to do well. And even the desire to do well is sometimes hidden under the rubric of a desire to be thought well by someone else, not necessarily loathing the act.

And if I'm wrong, well, so be it.
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You're not
 
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some_al_fan said:
This girl is an idiot.
I still don’t understand why people are getting fired for acting like idiots outside work hours.
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What don't you understand? Most jobs have clauses or HR policies that state you will not act like an idiot outside of work (the legalese is slightly different) and bring disrespect and ridicule to the company for your actions. Most states, especially the ones which are "right to work", can do this legally. I wholeheartedly endorse this. I don't care which political side you support, act like a fool and there will be consequences. I'm not talking about criminal charges, just being "disciplined" by your boss(es).
 
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75thru79 said:
What don't you understand? Most jobs have clauses or HR policies that state you will not act like an idiot outside of work (the legalese is slightly different) and bring disrespect and ridicule to the company for your actions. Most states, especially the ones which are "right to work", can do this legally. I wholeheartedly endorse this. I don't care which political side you support, act like a fool and there will be consequences. I'm not talking about criminal charges, just being "disciplined" by your boss(es).
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How did she bring disrespect to the company? She was not on official business and was not wearing the company’s uniform.
 
some_al_fan said:
How did she bring disrespect to the company? She was not on official business and was not wearing the company’s uniform.
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I'm not adjudicating whatever this person is alleged to have done. Maybe she is guilty and maybe not. I was simply replying to your statement wondering why people are getting fired for being an idiot (acting a fool in demonstrations, being a Karen, etc.) in public. You may disagree, that's fine. However, the bottom line is companies in most states have the legal authority to fire you for this. It doesn't matter what we think.
 
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75thru79 said:
What don't you understand? Most jobs have clauses or HR policies that state you will not act like an idiot outside of work (the legalese is slightly different) and bring disrespect and ridicule to the company for your actions. Most states, especially the ones which are "right to work", can do this legally. I wholeheartedly endorse this. I don't care which political side you support, act like a fool and there will be consequences. I'm not talking about criminal charges, just being "disciplined" by your boss(es).
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It's kind of a grey area. We have a case here in Iowa where a teacher was fired for comments made on social media about Charlie Kirk. Yet, the defense lawyers are reporting that the school board president had posted similar inflammatory stuff about Joe Biden.

I think it would be reasonable to think if the cancel culture exists for one, it should apply to the other.
 
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Its On A Slab said:
It's kind of a grey area. We have a case here in Iowa where a teacher was fired for comments made on social media about Charlie Kirk. Yet, the defense lawyers are reporting that the school board president had posted similar inflammatory stuff about Joe Biden.

I think it would be reasonable to think if the cancel culture exists for one, it should apply to the other.
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Like I said, "I don't care which side you are on in the political debate", acting a fool is acting a fool. If I was a small business owner I would have absolutely no patience for this kind of behavior from my employees. You want to be a social justice warrior or a "proud boy" apologist then you can do it as an employee for someone else.
 
Its On A Slab said:
It's kind of a grey area.
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Yes, but this is basically racism, which no employer is going to tolerate nowadays. You don't mock a dark-skinned guy with a Hispanic last name (although she didn't know that probably), suggest "he's not one of us so ICE" and then keep it up. We all know she would not have said that to a Scandinavian woman.

I agree with the assessments that some of this stuff is ludicrous. The funny thing is that some of the same people saying "oh that's too extreme" would be calling for her to be fired if she'd been wearing a MAGA hat. Too much of people's desires for discipline nowadays depend upon the tribe they think someone endorses.

I mean, can someone explain what it is with that particular hairdo nowadays with women? I swear I thought the Phillies' Karen was now a Milwaukee fan.
 
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