Have you noticed how uninhibited people can become when posting or commenting on-line -- how they will write things to and about others that they would never say if they were face to face?
According to Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, our inhibitions are lowered because we don't see the reaction of the other person -- we aren't focusing on our commonalities -- and thus there is a tendency to dehumanize each other.
In other words, we forget we are interacting with a person, not a screen.
One of the benefits of some social media programs, such as Facebook, is the ability to connect with friends and family members. Yet I often hear how an on-line disagreement or a difference of opinion has forever changed - and sometimes ended - these relationships, in large part because of a lack of courtesy and respect in someone's writing.
Keeping in mind that you cannot control what other people do, you can only control how you react to them, here are options for you to choose from when facing this situation:
1. Respond in a thoughtful way. Ask for additional information to clarify that your interpretation of the comment is what the person intended. In order to avoid adding fuel to the fire, you may wish to do this via a private message rather than a public posting. Thank the person for commenting and agree to disagree on the matter.
2. Ignore it. There is no need to lower yourself to the other person's level with a response; what someone says reflects back on them, not on you, so just leave it out there for everyone to read.
3. Delete the post. Some people will post comments for the purpose of drawing you into an emotional discussion and will then only continue to frustrate you by calling you out on your responses. Don't let people take up space in your brain if they aren't paying rent!
4. Block the person. Your social media site is just that - yours. You have the right to choose who has the ability to see and respond to your posts.
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