I had been off Facebook for some time prior to starting these daily blog posts. I had even taken the app off my phone to strengthen my resistance to mindless scrolling, usually through posts from pages I hadn’t even “liked.”
Now, even though Facebook continues to be one of the best ways to promote my blog, I’m tempted again to take a break. More and more, it’s filled with political commentary, or worse, political memes. And I’m sure it’s going to get worse the closer we get to the election.
I don’t mind either commentary or memes. I’ll admit to being drawn into and enjoying the posts that come from my “tribe.” I like a good political discussion, even with someone with whom I disagree. But with a few exceptions, there is no discussion on Facebook, only anger and ridicule. And rarely is it okay to disagree with someone’s post without drawing the wrath of the person originally posting or other people commenting.
It’s prompted several questions in my mind:
- When did compromise become a bad word?
- When did it become “not okay” to disagree–especially on someone’s post on Facebook?
- When did a person become evil, just because we disagree with their ideas or policies?
- When did we start talking in such extremes? (ie, “The country/world/life-as-we-know-it will come to an end if XYZ is elected.)
- Why do we let others use fear to control our decisions?
- Why do we disagree on what is the truth?
- When did “other” (those who think differently or who are different) become the enemy or something to fear?
- Why do some people think they’ll change minds on social media? And if they don’t mean to change someone’s mind, why do they post the things they post?
- When did we start thinking in black and white, or in “either/or” rather than “and?”
- When did we start living on two different planets that mirror each other in the things we say? (My jaw often drops at each “side” saying exactly the same thing the other “side” says. ie, “The world will come to an end if XYZ is elected.”)
- How can anyone still be “undecided?”
These are not meant to be political questions, or, at least they’re not pointed at one “side.” They’re conundrums about how and when many of us lost the ability to get along with those with whom we differ or to live with those who are different from us.
