By Woojung Choi | Staff Writer |
Is it easier to hate someone on social media? Coyotes think so, particularly if they have never met in person.
Facebook users can look at a profile picture and “form an impression…and virtually no words are necessary,” according to assistant professor of communication Brandon Van Der Heide from Ohio University.
Some people want to get other people’s attention largely through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Exaggerated posts, frequent selfies, and chain letter memes and posts shared on social media may be viewed negatively by others.
“Everyone hates people who tend to seek attention and show off over-actively,” stated Dainius Runkevičius of The Huffington Post.
“I think a lot of people use social media as a front. It’s like people are trying to show off on social media, people trying to show perfect lives,” said student Trianna Menor.
Menor said it is easier to hate people on social media, adding that when we are aware of others’ flaws, “we are eager to jump on people and find things for us to hate about a person based on the things they like, repost, tweet, and snap.”
“Although people say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover,’ we do,” added Menor.
Student Leslie Morando said that people may be “transformed completely through social media vs. real life” by accessing the superficiality of the Internet in order to “become someone they are not.”
“The media easily detaches us from personal connections and relationships,” added Morando.
Morando elaborated on her beliefs as to why social media users may find it easier to have strong negative feelings of someone whom they do not know in person.
“Social media tends to detach us and desensitize us from feelings and emotional connections. What we see in social media is more superficial than a personal relationship,” said Morando.
Menor said that people act one way in person, but may feel the opposite online.
“I’m sure there are people out there who you may dislike, but are still friends without a word of disdain towards them,” said Menor.
“We might become easily annoyed with something someone posts. It may be out of context, or it may be misunderstood much easier than in a one-on-one conversation,” said Morando.
Morando and student Jessica Garcez agreed that it is easier to judge others on social media platforms if they do not know them, such as an athlete or celebrity.
“A person that I might know, or have known personally might not be so easily affected by what they post and how I perceive them,” said Garcez.
In Korea, there is an expression conveying this idea of attention seekers, categorizing them individually as “a seed of interest.”
I think many attention seekers make it painfully obvious of their ulterior motives and I cannot help but feel their handling of private information indicates poor judgment.
And as Menor said, “I think, honestly, the lack of immediate human intimacy” that technology has created makes it easier for people to hate and judge those of whom they do not know.
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