04/21/2026
ā¤ļø Couldnāt have said it better myselfā£ļø
There is a growing gap between how we treat people in person and how we treat them behind a screen
Social media has created a culture where unsolicited opinions and aggressive ācorrectionsā are seen as the tax someone must pay for being public. We call it āfeedback,ā but often itās just digital harassment in a socially acceptable mask. Weāve told people to āhave thicker skinā for so long that weāve forgotten to ask for better digital manners. We expect people to be bulletproof, forgetting that the person on the other side processes every word just as they would in the physical world
To see how strange this is, look at our āofflineā lives. In a professional meeting, we wouldnāt dream of shouting a correction across the room to prove we know more than the speaker. In a physical workspace, if we noticed a colleague made a mistake or had a different perspective, we would pull them aside or send a polite, private note. We understand that public shaming isnāt helpāitās an ego trip. Yet, online, weāve normalised the opposite
We also forget how little we actually see
On social media, we usually see a 60-second clip or a single image. We often donāt have a full context, nor we try to see beyond the visual. Many ācorrectionsā are simply personal preferences presented as objective truths. When we āfixā something without the whole story, it isnāt just intrusive; itās often irrelevant
Iām lucky to have a wonderful community here, but like anyone who shares online, I still see the sting of nasty comments
If we want a better internet, the protocol has to change:
- Private over Public: If a message is meant to help, it belongs in a DM. Private notes show respect; public call-outs seek an audience
- Context over Assumption: Before critiquing, ask if you have enough information. Usually, weāre only seeing a fraction of the reality
- Intent over Performance: Are you being helpful, or just performing intelligence at someone elseās expense?
- Empathy over Impulse: If you wouldnāt say it to someoneās face in a crowded room, donāt type it
Constructive criticism is a gift, but only when itās wrapped in respect.
Letās protect the spaces we build. šļø
