On social media and the art of word choice.
"Millennials are fueled by their ability to get offended by things."
That isn't a real quote, but it could be. A couple nights ago, Julia sent me an article she had just finished reading that made a more complex version of this argument. The piece was written by a well-researched guy with a doctorate, but I definitely sensed a bit of the "kids these days" vibe that typically puts me off pretty quickly. Needless to say, I definitely gleaned some ingredients to make some food for thought.
The past nine months have been chaotic. People from two primary political parties still hate each other and will do anything to undermine and belittle the other. No one would actually admit that they "hate" someone who voted differently...but their Facebook posts indicate otherwise. Demonstrations and introduction of new possible legislation have created additional opportunities for conflict. Everyone agrees that the U.S. is divided more severely than it has been in decades.
Or is it?
What about the harsh divide between those who were protesting the war in Vietnam and those who wanted everyone to respect the authorities in charge at the time? Or the constant tension hanging in the air during the height of the women's rights activities half a century ago? Let us not forget how many resisted the mere idea of Reconstruction, much less the actual implementation of policies that could rebuild the shattered South.
So what do these bookmarks in American history have to do with millennials and the current divide in our nation? Social media is the significant factor, and it's been taking away the blue ribbon at every competition for our attention.
When I hear someone comment about how quick people are to get offended, that "you have to put a trigger warning on everything!", I think about social media's influence on spreading a message. It's not about the "fake news," it's about the speed at which an unresearched opinion or a completely false report can fill the Internet at every corner. A tweet stating a political opinion sent to 10K followers on a Monday night can reach a million readers within two hours if enough angry people retweet it. If someone posts a YouTube video making an insensitive remark about a type of person or another ethnicity, it might go viral simply because a public figure shares it with a caption discussing their indignation.
I get it, I really do. Freedom of speech is one of the most valued rights in this country. Walking around telling people what they can and cannot say feels very much like a freedom of speech violation, even to me, a left-leaning middle dweller. But you know what else I value? Respecting every person and rooting for them to live their life to the very fullest. One of the best ways I can think of to do this would be to choose my words carefully.
For me, it's not about telling others what to do or denying someone their right to speak when they feel like it. It's about being kind. Words are often nasty and dirty, but they can also be redemptive. One of the ways I have been able to reconcile my conservative upbringing with my more recent liberal influences is to ask how Christ would have me speak. Nine times out of ten, He would have me shut my mouth before I make that joke. And not because it might offend someone...but because it wasn't a good use of my God-given ability to form words.
Social media gives all of us a chance to speak our piece whenever we feel like it. In decades and centuries past, people still expressed opinions and faced heat for choosing words that divided. But before, there was no easy way to jump on the hate bandwagon. Everyone had a small circle of influence, and most knew who they were reaching. These days, words can travel oceans in seconds. What used to be a big deal for a day can now last a week, and usually does.
When your server at a busy restaurant fails to bring your order promptly and you go home to rant about it on Facebook, leaving out the part about the busyness of the establishment, you have exercised your American right to express yourself. When a group of demonstrators gathers in a public place and the news crews arrive, ready to grab 30 seconds of footage from a 13 hour event, both sides have agreed to speak up and have their words misunderstood by one side or another. Some are angered by the f-bomb in an indie worship song while others are exasperated by unwillingness to leave the n-word behind for good.
Millennials are fueled by their ability to get offended by things. But so is every other generation. "That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. There is nothing new under the sun," as a wise man once wrote in a Book so many years before 2017. We can only control what we say, not how others perceive our words or how they speak in response.
Personally, I'd like to see a whole lot more compassion and kindness from our words moving forward.
That isn't a real quote, but it could be. A couple nights ago, Julia sent me an article she had just finished reading that made a more complex version of this argument. The piece was written by a well-researched guy with a doctorate, but I definitely sensed a bit of the "kids these days" vibe that typically puts me off pretty quickly. Needless to say, I definitely gleaned some ingredients to make some food for thought.
The past nine months have been chaotic. People from two primary political parties still hate each other and will do anything to undermine and belittle the other. No one would actually admit that they "hate" someone who voted differently...but their Facebook posts indicate otherwise. Demonstrations and introduction of new possible legislation have created additional opportunities for conflict. Everyone agrees that the U.S. is divided more severely than it has been in decades.
Or is it?
What about the harsh divide between those who were protesting the war in Vietnam and those who wanted everyone to respect the authorities in charge at the time? Or the constant tension hanging in the air during the height of the women's rights activities half a century ago? Let us not forget how many resisted the mere idea of Reconstruction, much less the actual implementation of policies that could rebuild the shattered South.
So what do these bookmarks in American history have to do with millennials and the current divide in our nation? Social media is the significant factor, and it's been taking away the blue ribbon at every competition for our attention.
When I hear someone comment about how quick people are to get offended, that "you have to put a trigger warning on everything!", I think about social media's influence on spreading a message. It's not about the "fake news," it's about the speed at which an unresearched opinion or a completely false report can fill the Internet at every corner. A tweet stating a political opinion sent to 10K followers on a Monday night can reach a million readers within two hours if enough angry people retweet it. If someone posts a YouTube video making an insensitive remark about a type of person or another ethnicity, it might go viral simply because a public figure shares it with a caption discussing their indignation.
I get it, I really do. Freedom of speech is one of the most valued rights in this country. Walking around telling people what they can and cannot say feels very much like a freedom of speech violation, even to me, a left-leaning middle dweller. But you know what else I value? Respecting every person and rooting for them to live their life to the very fullest. One of the best ways I can think of to do this would be to choose my words carefully.
For me, it's not about telling others what to do or denying someone their right to speak when they feel like it. It's about being kind. Words are often nasty and dirty, but they can also be redemptive. One of the ways I have been able to reconcile my conservative upbringing with my more recent liberal influences is to ask how Christ would have me speak. Nine times out of ten, He would have me shut my mouth before I make that joke. And not because it might offend someone...but because it wasn't a good use of my God-given ability to form words.
Social media gives all of us a chance to speak our piece whenever we feel like it. In decades and centuries past, people still expressed opinions and faced heat for choosing words that divided. But before, there was no easy way to jump on the hate bandwagon. Everyone had a small circle of influence, and most knew who they were reaching. These days, words can travel oceans in seconds. What used to be a big deal for a day can now last a week, and usually does.
When your server at a busy restaurant fails to bring your order promptly and you go home to rant about it on Facebook, leaving out the part about the busyness of the establishment, you have exercised your American right to express yourself. When a group of demonstrators gathers in a public place and the news crews arrive, ready to grab 30 seconds of footage from a 13 hour event, both sides have agreed to speak up and have their words misunderstood by one side or another. Some are angered by the f-bomb in an indie worship song while others are exasperated by unwillingness to leave the n-word behind for good.
Millennials are fueled by their ability to get offended by things. But so is every other generation. "That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. There is nothing new under the sun," as a wise man once wrote in a Book so many years before 2017. We can only control what we say, not how others perceive our words or how they speak in response.
Personally, I'd like to see a whole lot more compassion and kindness from our words moving forward.
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