"Negativity Online" in more than 140 characters #StreamingSMML

Hey!

So, last Evening Dr Marcia Forbes (@marciaforbes ), author of ‘STREAMING: Social Media, Mobile Lifestyles’  had a forum/chat going on twitter via @StreamingSMML or #StreamingSMML.

Topic: “NEGATIVITY ONLINE”- a number of questions were asked in order for participants to express their opinion about each. However, 140 characters can’t hold me! soooo…….. J

Q1: What are some of the ways you've seen negativity portrayed online?
Ignorance, Bullying, Sexism, Trolling, Racism, Classism, Homophobia, Ageism, Fundamentalism, Atheism, Weightism.

Q2: Have you ever personally experienced or been a part of negativity online?

Yes…. Intentionally and unintentionally, as everyone else

Q3: How does negativity online make you feel? Has it ever personally affected you?
No…. I don’t think so…. As I said last night during the chat ….

 As individuals there are consecutive observations and interpretations going on in our minds to validate what we choose to be favourited and unwelcomed.  The decision of moral and immoral plays a huge role in how persons perceive their world…at this minute everything might seem ‘lame’…but then you find some sort of serenity, all of a sudden the world and everyone in it is exhilarating, colourfull!

 Q4: How do you respond when someone directs negativity at you online?

I Ignore. I used to be very argumentative, never usually angry, but 99.9% it never really is that serious, for me so now I ignore.

Q5: Why do you believe people display negativity online?

“According to neuropsychologist Rich Hanson, our "brain is like Velcro to negative experiences and Teflon to positive ones…… As Hanson writes, we’re built that way: Negative stimuli produce more neural activity than positive stimuli” – Source.

It is a part of human behaviour, whether you want to or not you can be perceived as being negative, your opinion will affect other people; individuals may agree they may disagree. 

Hence our approach to negativity is completely determined on how we react.

Q6 Do you think persons realize the severity and (sometimes legal) implications of the negativity they portray online?

“Implications of negativity”?  Saying you think Digicel or LIME is a crook? Or Slander and libel? The former I’ll respond with a “yawn” the latter however, no. Most persons believe because they are on the internet, behind a picture-less twitter account they can cause public mischief. “Defamation occurs when an untrue statement is made about another person or business which is injurious to their reputation.” There are laws which govern defamation, on or off the internet. Most persons don’t know/refuse to believe the “on the internet” part.

Q7: What are the best practical solutions to deal with/reduce online negativity?

Ignore, move on, if you feel the need to respond, ask yourself… “Is this really necessary”? There will always be that one person who feels the need to debate everything or share their opinion with you, like @Nasylum or that one person who feels the need to subtweet real persons or figments of their imagination like @malihenry …. That may or may not have been a negative comment, but it was an example based on my observations, I mean nothing more than what it says.

Also, I notice most online users are WAAAY too emotional? Sensitive? Closed minded? Not sure exactly what it is, be we tend to not know how to have a simple conversation without getting angry. A person’s opinion is THEIRS, it is not your civil duty to cuss a Christian because he doesn’t support homosexuals, and it isn’t your civil duty to cuss a homosexual because he’s happily gay. Live and let live. Scroll, skip, mute, unfollow.  Really.