Dear Lubbock: Being Mean Online Doesn’t Make You a Better Person

Growing up with the internet is a blessing and a curse. Just like everything in life, there are good and bad sides of things, but the internet seems to do a great job of bringing out the worst in people.

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The sense of anonymity people have online has become a dangerous game. People feel like they can post whatever they want and say anything without any fear of consequences. Of course, you do have free speech in the U.S., but having some self-control is still important.

The problem is that people feel way too comfortable saying things online that they would never say in person. The number of hateful comments you’ll find on every social media platform is shocking. People comment on other’s appearance, beliefs, or way of living in an attempt to tear them down.

Imagine being in a room with thousands of other people and someone starts saying horrible, hateful, and downright inappropriate things about someone else in the room, loud enough for everyone to hear. They aren’t doing it because the other person wronged them in some way, they are simply going off at a total stranger over something they say or do that isn't 'right' in their eyes.

That is what it feels like to me when people decide to be mean online.

If you don’t like whatever content you are watching or reading online, you can just stop viewing it and move on. It takes much less time, effort, and distress if you just walk away.

So, instead of wasting everyone’s time, just scroll away and maybe take a look inside yourself to see why you feel the need to be mean online to complete strangers who you really know nothing about.