I saw a #hashtag in my Tweet timeline that actually forced me to divert. It might have had something to do with a residual emotion that I felt from a Guardian UK article I read a few days ago that deeply disturbed me because it just never ends: Bullying. In this case, it’s cyber bullying in the form of trolling which definitely seems to be increasing on a daily basis. Like these women, I’m pretty vocal about things that I feel passionate about (or against), though I’ve been lucky to have avoided the extremity that they’ve experienced with this problem. I guess that it comes with the territory when you speak to people who have been on the receiving end of the bad for an extended period of time – which we all have (no matter what gender). But no one should have to worry about what they say if they do it with respect.
This post isn’t going to be about a feminist (or as I say equal opportunist) taking a stand on trolling. I believe that this post from Here Is A Thing blog by Courtney Stanton does a phenomenal job on reporting (and dealing with) this frightening issue that women now have to worry about online as well. Honestly, it’s crap like this that got me into martial arts and the like. Not that I’m anything like Jet Li, but I can at least do more than scream if someone physically threatens me or anyone else near me. And there are a lot of women who can do much more than that, so it would be wise for trolls to think before they threaten anyone with physical violence or derogatory insults. Of course, violence is never the answer to anything. Yes, it gets the attention for a short period of time, but it’s ineffective simply because there is no intelligence behind it.
What I do want to talk about is the power behind hashtags in order to make any topic come to life -especially critical thinking topics. These hashtags become a learning experience because you get snippets of conversation regarding the specific topic from a diverse audience, and that’s an incredible knowledge base to work with. Another strength is that you can then click on particular people who you either agree or disagree with and follow their digital trail to find out much more about their history and their beliefs. This is where data becomes powerful, because it shows everywhere we’ve traveled and left our marks. And all of this can be mined for further study and familiarization.
Regarding the intent behind the hashtag above: Bullies used to only have to worry about people seeing them in action. Well, in today’s digital environment, it’s not even about actions because words can depict more than simple movement. Words convey diverse emotions that last longer than the action, and that is when the damage can be much greater and long-lasting. Our minds register fear through fight or flight, which is instantaneous, but it also allows us to balance data and create constructive solutions that can negate the original emotion when it’s not under threat. Frankly, anyone who wants to bully on the Internet is a bit unhinged in most people’s eyes, because the data will last forever as it crosses the digital ether and gets consumed and responded to by millions. If you really can’t stop bullying (of any kind):
- Get help with controlling your emotions.
- Find out what is causing your actions and fix it.
- Go through your past and see how it’s impacting your thoughts and deeds.
- Pick an offline venue where you can see who’s against you. Your odds are better in the physical world.
- Just walk away and find an outlet that will only hurt you and no one else.
Just a thought…
The power of a hashtag can be to start necessary conversations by illuminating the problems within our words in the harsh light of day. It would help open up our thinking on a diverse range of topics, and could help to fix the problems in this world. A hashtag can take any combination of words to start the conversation, allowing people to actually learn from the experience – which is the hard part. What a powerful tool!
