This TED Talk was incredible, especially coming from a public figure like Monica Lewinsky.
Social
media has desensitized us because it is so available, frames what we look at
and filters we are able to know. As Monica Lewinsky said, “I was seen by many,
but actually known by few.” There is no such thing as a privacy anymore because
you are seen on a worldwide scale. With cruel stories such as scandals,
affairs, and slut shaming a commodity to our public, we begin to see this as
the norm rather than a rare incident. The media feeds off of what we as a
society pay attention to the most and when millions of people habitually click
on cruel and humiliating stories not only does that individual’s reputation become
more and more in danger, but the media will consistently report this stories in
order to make money.
Compassion
can displace shame in social media by understanding that everyone is going to
have an opinion and that you don’t have to fight fire with fire. You can take
the initiative to post something positive and not allow your anonymity make you
into something that you’re not. Instead of jumping to conclusions or judging
others by their comments, listen and try to understand where they are coming
from to gain perspective before just speaking your two-sense.
