Digital Cowardice
By Albert B. Kelly
There was a time once when
people were largely responsible for the words they uttered and we were judged
by what we said and to whom. It was the idea that you had to “own your words”
and if you couldn’t or wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, well then maybe you
shouldn’t say it at all.
But things are different
today; social media and our online “culture” let people hide and be anonymous,
saying whatever vile and hurtful things come into their heads without ever
having to be accountable for what they say or the impact of their words.
You don’t have to look far
to see what this looks like. Go online and check out almost any news story and
then scroll down and read the “thread” of comments from readers. While some comments
might cause a smile or some anger, you might also be shocked by some of the
vitriol people hurl at each other.
In recent days you may
have heard about the story involving former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling and
his daughter. According to the story Schilling, as proud fathers do, made some
happy comments on Twitter about his daughter’s success in becoming a pitcher
for her college softball team.
In response, several “anonymous”
strangers made vile and obscene comments about his daughter including sexually aggressive
comments and rape. This story ends with a twist because Curt Schilling took the
time and effort to track down and identify the individuals.
It turns out that two of
the knuckleheads were just punks hiding behind their anonymity on-line. One was
a student at Brookdale Community College who was suspended after Schilling
outed him and the other, employed by the New York Yankees as a part-time ticket
seller, was fired as a result of the incident.
While that’s a win for
accountability, what about the millions of other punks and pinheads that hide
behind their anonymity harassing, insulting, and degrading people for no other
reason than that they can. I understand the appeal of being able to get your
shots in without having to pay for them, but all it really means is they’re
just cowards with little character.
It’s something to think
about and for parents with younger children who will soon be entering the
online world, there’s a discussion to be had here about owning your words and
being accountable for the things you say. For the rest of us, who already troll
the internet and social media, is it time to step back and ask if we’re part of
the problem?
It’s not just the stuff
like Facebook and Twitter, but apps specifically designed for anonymity. Ever
heard of Yik Yak? Neither did until a recent story appeared in the NY Times
about it. Apparently this “hot new social media app” lets users communicate
anonymously with anyone else logged on within 1.5 mile radius.
According to the story
this is now all the rage on college campuses and in high schools because it prevents
anyone from knowing who posted. So here we have students exchanging disparaging
remarks about classmates, professors, and anyone else who becomes the focus of
their attention- all anonymously.
Others may feel
differently, but it seems to me that those who disparage others; those who post
vile sexual, racial, or ethnic slurs, or those who are just snotty and
insulting while hiding behind or through their anonymity are largely cowards.
While I understand free
speech and the need to preserve it, my hope is that some type of accountability
might be brought to bear in the largely anonymous world of online. Being identified
with and connected to your words doesn’t interfere with your right to say them
and maybe that’s the place to start.
Who knows, maybe some of
what happens today anonymously online is part of what Luke had in mind when he
penned these words so long ago; “For there is nothing hidden that will not
become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light”.
Short of a little
scripture, it may well be time for parents, teachers, and schools to get
serious about the issue; talking to the next generation about everything from
cyber-bulling and transparency to common decency and the courage and integrity to
stand behind your words- as opposed to hiding in the digital shadows.
It’s part of having character;
the idea that your virtual voice should be one and the same with your real
voice. And maybe more so these days since one person’s virtual words, like
another’s real wounds, never really go away.