On Hate Speech

Every time I open social media, there they are, the hate speech commenters. No, they don’t comment on my account but someone that I followed. And that thing makes me annoyed and astonished at the same time.

No matter what platform you use, once you decide using social media, the hate speeches are scattered everywhere. Especially on Ask.fm, when you can ask someone directly without the fear of your identity will be shown. I have seen so many hate speech, varying from plain-to-the-point-profanity until the-long-analyzed-full-of-facts comments. I know I should not be bothered by this thing because these people don't direct these comments to me, but somehow I am infuriated. Why the heck they have so many hatred toward one person? Don’t they have some stuff to be taken care of than point their fingers to one person?

I think as the existence of social media rises, people start to forget to have a good etiquette on the internet. They think because nobody knows our identity in the real life, it’s not a problem to throw some hatred toward one person (no big deal right?). The Internet and social media offer unreal images of people, and within the cold and flat screen we see every day, they forget that other people have hearts too.

Or maybe they don’t have a good time with their current life, I guess.

 I often wonder, did these people don’t have a great childhood/moment or should I take them to an amusement park to make them happy. Or maybe I should compile my favorite playlist to them to listen.

At a glance, the effect of this hate speech is not so significant, but as we dive through, we know that this thing sways us slowly. We treat hate speech is not a big deal and we are getting used to it and then make this situation is ‘normal’.

“Hey, but it’s freedom of speech ya know!”

Okay, okay calm down. Freedom of speech? I don’t remember which part of freedom of speech that allows people to insult other people’s feeling. Think about how will you feel if you were in his place—to be insulted and mocked—how is it?

“I had a good intention you stubborn. I gave him critics in order to help him realize what he does is wrong.”

Ahh, how nice you are! Can I ask why you don’t give him the solution to fix his attitude instead you just mocked and insulted him with derogatory phrases God-knows-what-are-them?

You know, this is the ugly truth of the internet. And that’s why I wrote this post, I fed up with the number of hate speeches people do. “Hey you know you can log out from your social media if you fed up!” I know, but that doesn’t solve the problems. Logging out only solve ‘my’ problem, not the society. Eventually, this hate speech will appear again if I sign in.

If any of you who read this is a victim of hate speech, don’t take it seriously. Respond with a joke or witty comment is better. Their comments don’t define who you are. You are more worth than just a plain comment from someone who doesn’t really know you. Their thoughts about you are not important in your well-being, dump those out.

If any of you is a hate speech commenters, I recommend you to take a break from social media (alas detoxing yourself from the internet) and focus on your real life problems and dreams. You have wasted your precious time to be so attached to one person. You do realize that this will affect your mental health and mindfulness, right? It’s up to you anyway, this is just my two cents. Moreover, you don’t know me either, so why you have to listen to a suggestion from a stranger?