Or share, or re-tweet, or re-post.
Each is a vote. Each is an endorsement. Each is a responsibility for what comes next.
So, when social media invites us to take sides—or to shame—or to condemn, perhaps it’s better to…pause. Better to be mindful of the moral grandstanding, piling on, exaggerated emotional displays, and absolute righteousness that’s become routine.
Better because what comes next is clear, and clearly perilous.
Each snark-ily exaggerated meme, or metaphor, or critique we ratify fuels a plague of rhetorical violence, out-of-character shallow meanness, and deep division that’s swamping us. With each click we engage a dangerous pastime of cavalierly unleashing anger, disgust, and indignation on others.
We label them unworthy, seal them in boxes, and cast them out to the trash. And then we scratch our heads over what comes next: a divided nation, and divided communities.
But it’s not our fault. Social media knows how we’re wired and taps our evolutionary drive to be desirable partners. To be In-group. To be Us—not Them.
Meanwhile, our pro-social psychology—active when we’re face-to-face—is off duty when we’re face-to-device. Linked with the anonymous audience online, we tend toward public performance—unconstrained by our better natures.
But it becomes our fault when we’re aware of our psychology, our evolutionary tendencies, and the snowballing impact of our keystrokes.
And so, if you’re reading this, and were not aware…you have been served! We are responsible.
So yes, better to…pause. To be mindful. To reflect. To consider empathy. To assume responsibility for what comes next…and choose consciously before we click.
It’s not always easy. And it’s not close to being the only answer.
But it is something we can all do to nudge our way back toward civility.