Exercising Your Freedom of Speech
Social media dominates the online atmosphere. It blasts people’s opinions for all to see.
Everyone has a right to their opinions. However, are they expressing their right or saying things to blend in with their chosen group that they follow or who follow them?
What has happened to people using their moral compass? Is it lost in memes and social media posts? Do clicks and views outweigh human decency?
Moral Compass
According to dictionary.com, a moral compass is a set of values and objectives that guides a person’s decisions and actions.
Most of us are equipped with the ability to determine what is wrong and what is right. However, some of us don’t care.
Parents and Children
Years ago, some parents taught their children to be kind to others. Now, some adults show their children how to humiliate others.
Do we blame the parents when the children misbehave? It depends on the situation. Some children will act how they want to act regardless of how they were taught. However, if a parent is reckless in their actions, these actions could affect their children in different ways such as acting out or social withdrawal.
The parent or parents’ moral compass is passed onto their children. Then, their children have the responsibility to either accept what they have and haven’t been taught. Many go to social media to release their feelings to the world.
Going Viral
The excitement of going viral opens the door to people feeling uninhibited. Their moral compass is thrown away. Sometimes, their actions result in outcomes they didn’t anticipate. Once done, they’re no do-overs.
Click onto any social media site and you’ll find some of the vilest comments. These comments should make you question the person who wrote them. What was this person thinking? Perhaps, they weren’t thinking at all. Most likely, they wanted a comment so vile that it raises a few eyebrows and increases their social relevance.
Individual Responsibility
We all have individual responsibility for our thoughts and actions.
How many times have you seen someone post something in anger or fun and delete it when there’s outrage? A step to avoid this is to think about what you post before you post it. Once you post it, there’s no turning back. Deleting it doesn’t stop its existence because someone has a screenshot.
Standing up for what’s right should rule. However, someone’s popularity and influence may sway eager followers to abandon their moral compass for a sense of belonging. Some people prefer group membership over being alone. Therefore, they say things to stay in the group regardless of their true feelings.
While social interaction is important, you shouldn’t allow it to determine how you feel about topics and situations. It’s easy to spew out opinions but what if you were in the situation that you’re talking about. How would you feel and react?
The bottom line is everyone has a right to voice their opinions and are responsible for their actions. If you believe what you’re thinking and want to shout it to the world, you’re free to do so. Make sure it agrees with your moral compass. When your opinion doesn’t agree with others, be prepared for the potential backlash. It’s your choice to stand by your words or cave into what other people want you to believe and say.
