Internet Disagreements

When people have disagreements on the Internet, those disagreements can escalate rapidly, be quite vicious and stay around for a while. Because the Internet is at our disposal 24/7, those same words are constantly accessible.

Follow up:

I love words, I love to write, but without feedback, words can be cold, and hurt. Sometimes even with feeback.

Words on the Internet or even in writing last for a long time. You can revisit the words and so those feelings - anger, sadness, betrayal, frustration - come back to you each and every time you view those words. Arguing via email or personal message allows the words to just sit there and fester, until the next communication - it’s very tit for tat without social cues - facial expressison, timbre of voice, expression. Just those damn emoticons. When you have a group of people engaged in an argument and they communicate in a message thread or email - because the communication is largely asynchronous and without direct feedback - everyone is sending messages all at once or stewing. Total recipe for disaster.

And the wounds from such disagreements can take a long time to heal. I don’t believe that everyone is equally affected, but I was talking to Abigail about this and we decided these disagreements can a lot like what happens in PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). And really such arguments can be like a flash point.

I found this on one of the cyber-bully awareness sites - I’ll have to go back and look for the reference:

Sticks and stones may break my bones

But words can really hurt me

More to follow, no doubt.