Grieving old man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On December 14, 2012, 22 children and seven adults died at the hands of a shooter in Newtown, Connecticut. Another man stabbed 22 schoolkids in China.
I am deeply affected by those events. However, what I have seen on social networks is affecting me even more.
I understand the anger and the need to express it publicly on Facebook or Twitter. However, what I do not condone is the constant negativity; the “eye-for-an-eye” responses; the endless discussions on freedom of speech and the right to bear arms; and the way the media capitalize on sorrow. The families should be allowed to grieve properly. They do not need to read our violent outbursts. They need our compassion.
The loss of innocent lives is a tragedy. It is a tragedy because we could easily avoid it and choose not to. Instead, we prefer bickering and pointing the finger at intangibles and inanimate objects to avoid facing our own responsibilities.
Social media is not just another tool that allows us to share our journeys with the world. It is a digital footprint that we leave behind for the next generations to see.
Whether social media is a fun experiment or a way for you to promote yourself, you have a role to play in this global legacy.
That role is to make a difference in people’s lives, not feed the monster called “violence”.
“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” - Mahatma Gandhi
This article by Cendrine Marrouat is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
