Social media has lost all decency

As I sit down to write this column, I can’t help but feel that somewhere along the way, we’ve lost our shared moral ground — especially when it comes to social media.

If you follow The Manchester Enterprise on Facebook, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. In just a short span of time, I’ve watched comment sections spiral from complaints about the construction of an electric vehicle charging station, to self-appointed firefighting experts critiquing how a blaze was handled, and finally to a moment that truly stopped me cold — a woman publicly wishing that our newspaper office was the building on fire because she didn’t like our coverage of the London City Council.

Let that sink in for a moment.

What in the world has happened to people?

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: sitting behind a phone or a computer screen has made some folks incredibly brave — or at least they think it has. They don’t care what they say, when they say it, or who they say it to, as long as they can type it out and hit “post.”

But I’d be willing to bet that many of those same people would never say those things face-to-face. Keyboard warriors, as they’re often called, may be the bravest people in the cyber world. They’re experts on nearly every subject imaginable — fires, economics, government budgets, parenting, education — you name it.

Many of these same commenters also seem convinced that government entities should be responsible for entertaining the youth of Clay County. Yes, apparently your tax dollars and mine should be used to build new restaurants, movie theaters, and game centers.

When told that public funds simply can’t be used for those purposes, it falls on deaf ears. Why? Because that’s what they think — and if they think it, then in their mind it becomes fact.

Does that make your head spin a little? It sure did mine just typing it.

Not long ago, I wrote a column suggesting that parents should tell their children what to do, rather than allowing children to dictate the rules. Apparently, I was very wrong. One person said it was the “most Boomer” comment she had ever read.

Boomer?  I’m Gen X. I just got aged about 10 years I didn’t deserve.

But that reaction says a lot about how some people think today. I’m 53 years old. I raised two children. I now have grandchildren. Yet because I have a gray beard, I’m suddenly out of touch. The traditions I was raised with no longer apply.

So being respectful to your parents doesn’t work anymore? Hard work is outdated? Overcoming adversity isn’t a good character builder for children?

Some people may not say those things outright, but their comments and attitudes suggest otherwise.

What troubles me most is the growing loss of compassion in our society. The coldness. The lack of respect that seems to take over the moment someone disagrees with another person.  You can “think” something, but do you really feed the need you have to say it?

It’s sad, honestly.

I worry about where this leads. I worry about the mental toughness of future generations and whether they’ll be prepared for the hard times that inevitably come. Compassion, respect, and resilience aren’t outdated values — they’re necessities.

And losing them should concern us all.