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Social Media and Civility
March 29, 2019 | Comments Off on Social Media and Civility
Social media offers a kind of freedom no one would think could be possible away from the screen. This freedom can easily be mistaken as incivility, and it is time we learn how to identify it. Social media is an excellent resource for people to show inappropriate language, request information they might not normally ask a stranger, or share open feelings about political, religious, or other beliefs and experiences. This can sometimes lead to a feeling of entitlement, resulting in incivility in trying to influence the opinions of others.
Influencing others on social media can be quite difficult because we all know how hardheaded Americans are. But individuals must remember that influence is not the same as persuasion. Influence is the opportunity to motivate someone in order to achieve the optimum outcome. Persuasion lacks emotion, and is simply used to spur someone to action or to make a decision without actually earning their sincerity. By influencing someone to be civil on social media, you are approaching the situation professionally. Respect the other’s opinions and do not shut them down. Find responses that can support your reasoning and compare the different opinions in order to find common ground. Be conscious of what you say and what you post so your first impression is not someone who seems like a social media Nazi. Do not persuade someone to be more civil online, it only comes off as aggressive and unprofessional. Avoid blaming or shaming. Bring in statistics to support what you have to say. And just always be respectful.
Everyone can be a little uncivil on social media, because there will always be someone we do not like or do not agree with. Don’t just sit back and watch others do unjust things, speak up, but you need to be civil too.