Report, Mute, Block, Move On, Repeat...

I admit, I got the name "Anti-Social" from the internet. More specifically, TotalBiscuit. He was doing an interview with BBC about online harassment and bullying and used the term in contrast to "Social Media".

I've been using the internet for over twenty years, but just recently joined several social media platforms in hopes of promoting myself and my projects.


The point of this project was to identify issues covering any aspect of the internet and tell the story, therefore, helping others on how to deal with each situation themselves, or at least, shed light on them. 

Recently, Twitter was an online battlefield. Political consultant, Roger Stone, unleashed a "Twitter tirade" against CNN's Don Lemon and was subsequently banned. Alt-Right internet personality, Laura Loomer, tweeted several incendiary comments after the New York attack prompting a response from model, Gigi Hadid, and many others. President Trump tweeted about several Democrats and the entire DNC after the book release of former DNC Chairwoman, Donna Brazile. 

When talking about all the things you possibly can about social media, it's important to remember the platform you belong to is a community. Regardless of your level of involvement, it is built upon a foundation of people. When you make an account, you willingly choose to be a part of the community.



Whatever social media platform you choose, you should aspire to treat it as your community. Knowing there will be consequences and repercussions for your actions upon being accepted into said community. 

All the examples I gave earlier were political in nature, because it's what I'm following at the moment. There are similar issues across other topics and subjects.

However, they all can be dealt with in the same way. These steps will prove to be very helpful in many situations and will definitely help fight against burning out and crashing early on social media.

When you see or read something upsetting or unsettling in any way, you should take a moment and think about what it is about what you saw or read and why you had a negative response. If you believe a post to be discriminatory, incendiary, or hateful on any level, you should take the following steps.

1. Report the post.
2. Mute and/or Block the offending poster.
3. Move on.
4. Repeat whenever necessary.

These options aren't available on all social media platforms or internet forums and I would recommend you use those particular sites at your own risk.

The internet is an invaluable tool yet, an often difficult place. If you're going to use it, it's important to know how to navigate it properly. 

Comments