The Comments section A.K.A the cesspool of humanity

I try not to read them, I really do, but every once in a while I make the mistake of clicking to view the comments section on various articles and Facebook posts.  I am almost always baffled by the amount of anger and hatred spewed out at total strangers.  I simply do not understand why people feel the need to demean and belittle others.  These angry comments don’t just happen on controversial stories.  I expect a certain amount of contention on political articles; we all know that politics does not always bring out the best in people, and our political system is as broken and dysfunctional as possible but I am talking about all of the non-controversial topics that still manage to get angry comments. 

When TV personality Chrissy Teigen went out with her husband a few weeks after giving birth to their daughter, her Twitter and Instagram followers attacked her for her poor parenting skills.  It was baffling how people on social media felt the need to tell her how to raise her child, and scold her for having the nerve to actually go out on a date with her husband. 

Another particularly strange criticism surfaced on Youtube, where another highly successful episode of James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke featured Gwyn Stefani and the segment included picking up passengers George Clooney and Julia Roberts so the car could go in the carpool lane.  The whole segment was hilarious, especially watching Clooney and Roberts sing along to Hollaback Girl, but the comment section included various insults to George & Julia, complaining that “George Clooney had really wet sweaty arms pits when he got in the car ” or how Julia Roberts kept trying to hog the camera.  Really?  A fun, silly segment that these two famous actors were willing to participate in, why would there be any reason to make mean comments. 

I can’t even describe the comments on any political posts; they’re so angry and hate-filled.  For some reason social media seems to give people the feeling that they have the right to say anything without regard to the feelings of others.  I think it is so sad to see people treat others like that. 

I have made a conscious effort to only share positive things on my social media.  I know that doesn’t stop the haters, but it does help my own sanity.  I think back to the rule we learned when we grew up, if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.  I think that rule is more important today than it has ever been. 

I will continue to avoid the comments section, but I hope that this tsunami of hate will eventually recede and we can go back to being a more civil society, and if you think I am being naïve or stupid – do me a favor and don’t share that in the comments because I don’t need to know that, it doesn’t help anyone and to be honest, I just don’t want to read that.