04/21/2026
❤️ Couldn’t have said it better myself❣️
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 “corrections” are seen as the tax someone must pay for being public. We call it “feedback,” but often it’s just digital harassment in a socially acceptable mask. We’ve told people to “have thicker skin” for so long that we’ve 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 “offline” lives. In a professional meeting, we wouldn’t 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 isn’t help—it’s an ego trip. Yet, online, we’ve 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 don’t have a full context, nor we try to see beyond the visual. Many “corrections” are simply personal preferences presented as objective truths. When we “fix” something without the whole story, it isn’t just intrusive; it’s often irrelevant
I’m 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, we’re only seeing a fraction of the reality
- Intent over Performance: Are you being helpful, or just performing intelligence at someone else’s expense?
- Empathy over Impulse: If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face in a crowded room, don’t type it
Constructive criticism is a gift, but only when it’s wrapped in respect.
Let’s protect the spaces we build. 🕊️