It’s OK to be Irrelevant: Reclaiming Personal Responsibility on the Internet

Lately, there has appeared to be so much vitriol in online spaces. It seems as if it almost doesn’t matter what the topic is; individuals will input their opinions, unsolicited advice, and most harmful, their criticism in comments, re-posts, and DMs. It’s impulsive, it’s damaging and consequential, and frankly, it’s audacious because while it may be impulsive, it doesn’t mean it’s without impact. I think we have to reclaim personal responsibility for how we affect people especially when the behavior has a direct impact. 

I often say “we are responsible to each other, not for each other. To do no harm, to do well by others.” I qualify this with parents and caregivers are responsible for their dependents, and pet parents for their pets. 

Broadening out again, suicide stats are high. 1 life lost is 1 too many. It’s unlikely that this stat will decrease if the internet continues to act like an unchecked Black Friday shopping spree; wanting to be first in line, wanting what someone else has and being nasty about it, showing up in house slippers and pajamas for the perceived idea of gain and surplus. Notice the parallel? 

A fake sense of urgency. A distorted sense of importance and what matters. Caution to the wind with compassion. An unhinged fear of being irrelevant. So, post, type, spend, buy, send. Without much consideration of the contribution to the disconnect society feels which fuels many of the things we claim we don’t want and are desperate to avoid: unhappiness, loneliness, brokenness, loss.

We recreate what we’re afraid of.

To wrap this up, take it offline. The comments, the unsolicited advice, the thoughts and feelings. And if it can’t be taken offline, spoken, maybe it’s better to be left unwritten. It’s irrelevant and that’s OK.