Turning Off the Stadium Lights

 

Photo by Gabor Szucs on Unsplash

I love social media for its ability to keep me connected to people I met years ago at camp and now using it to keep connected to others I meet in my work and day to day life. Connection is what I think a lot of people want, and yet, with angry sharing on social media, we seem to just make people angry and hateful. The digital porch feels less like a place to gather and starting to feel like a stadium where everyone is booing. Our communities are turning into opposing teams. Instead of cheering for the athletes, for a good game, and having a good time supporting teams, we just wait for the other side to seemingly make a mistake.

 

What breaks my heart the most when I look at comment sections is that the people tearing each other apart don't even know one another. They aren't arguing with a neighbor; they are screaming in writing at someone they most likely don’t know or have ever met.  Our manners, our empathy, and our humanity are gone.

 

But how do we find our way back when people in leadership seem to like the noise?

 

I think we can start coming back to being human by refusing to join the chorus of boos. I admit having joined and left a few comments with the goal not to anger, but to have conversation. I wanted to be like a referee and of course, as it usually seems to do, it didn’t help.   I guess this writing is similar, wanting to be the referee or a peacemaker. The noise is loud, but kindness, respectfulness, empathy, manners, and humanity can be louder.

 

I want to use my digital space to build those bridges I looked for in the first place. I want to share stories, celebrate connections, and remind myself that the loudest, angriest voices online do not represent the true heart of who we are.  I also do want to have conversations about policies, feelings, and all the stuff. That’s how we learn and grow. You can agree or disagree with this, but can we agree to have conversations and listen to each other? Truly listen to what we each say, ask questions, and be curious about each other? 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Take time to think about what I’ve written. And if this resonated (or didn’t) and you would like to have a conversation, in-person or virtual, message me. Let’s talk and learn together. We can change our world by getting off the bleachers, turning off the stadium lights, and sitting together on the porch.