So, I was reading through the day’s news feed on Facebook and came to a particular person’s comment. I read it a couple times and felt myself getting angrier the more I read it. That’s when it hit me, Facebook allows us to post any thought at any given moment. Whether we are angry in that moment, have been hurt or betrayed and we choose to share this with everyone, just a momentary lapse. Sure, later we might decide we want to delete that thought but in the meantime who has read it, who have we offended.
Facebook is a place where we can connect with hundreds of people without feeling any accountability. We think to ourselves that only those who are interested are paying attention to our posts. But if any of the users are like me, and I have to assume there is a percentage like me, then as we read down the news feed, just checking, wondering if anything will catch our eye, we are processing thousands of moments that people shared on a whim. That is going into our brains and either being deleted, shuffled, or ingested.
Here I am reading a post that a person, whom I haven’t seen or heard from in person in fifteen years, wrote and I am annoyed with them. I am irritated at their arrogance, ignorance, and High School-like pettiness. The thing is, if I stop to think about it, this may just have been a moment of unfiltered thought, that they shared on impulse, and is now out there for everyone to read. It may not be indicative of their feelings even five minutes after they posted but it made an impression on me. Maybe I will give myself a five minute rule. Think about it at least that long before posting. A little hesitation may make all the difference.
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