In class we discussed how if we did not have to
suffer the consequences there would be no justice. I believe that there is a
link between this theory and how people portray themselves on the internet
versus in person. I have witnessed individuals that post opinions on Facebook
about sensitive topics but only engage in small talk when they are speaking to
others in person. I believe this is due to direct consequences. It is similar
to the effect that the Gyges ring had on people. When someone is invisible it
is easier to do things one normally would not do. There are no consequences
therefore there is freedom to do wrong. Now I do not believe that there are no
consequences when someone posts something online. People have lost their jobs
posting opinions about their bosses. However, why would anyone feel more
comfortable posting those opinions online in the first place? I believe they
thought they could get away with it easier. When talking to someone in person
there is no sense of anonymity. It is easier to post whatever you want without
thinking about how it will affect others online. Putting space between yourself
and your responsibility to other individuals’ reactions reminds me of the
discussion we had about the trolley problem. It was easier to kill one person
and save five whenever all you had to do was pull a lever. It was much harder
to push the overweight man down to save five people. This idea is more about
putting enough space between the doer and the recipient so they feel more
comfortable with the consequences. In this instance space is specifically about
our digital space versus our meat space. Is it possible that our digital space
feeds our appetites or spirits more than our meat space? It is easy to become
angry while reading an article and repost it without fact checking. Is this
because we are letting our soul become out of order? Reason needs a place on
social media and the digital world in general. We need to stop thinking of this
space as separate from ourselves. We are what we portray no matter what
platform we use. I know I never thought of myself as my Facebook profile but I’m
going to from now on.
I strongly agree with your argument. I feel as though when people are posting things on social media, the consequences are not the main thing on their mind therefore they tend to act "out of character". I put that in quotations because I believe that social media to a point brings out the real us.With social media, we don't have to worry about actually seeing the person's response therefore what we really think and believe comes out. Social media acts as a buffer between the person posting something and the intended audience. It takes away the meet space. When posting things on social media, we are distancing ourselves from the person or thing that is being referenced. When we no longer have that meet space to worry about our appetite takes over which disrupts our soul causing us to have unjust actions.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin,
ReplyDeleteI believe that this was a very good way to relate the argument. Also, what you said is very true. I know for a fact that there are some things I confront more behind a screen. This is especially true for when I get into fights with people. This is because I do feel a different sense of empowerment that I wouldn't have had I been standing in front of them. Also, I think that we often get carried away on social media, and let ourselves forget reason and we later on pay for it. It's like the Internet is a fake ring, it may make you invisible for a while, but it won't do it forever. You may make a poster video and get controlled by your emotions, forget about it, and then a few months later it could go viral. with these things you never know and there's no expiration date just like with guilt. you may not feel it soon but it will catch up to you in the long run