Tasteless, crude and inappropriate speech should always be reprimanded, regardless of the individual’s intention. One of the great things about society today is that we have become essentially unapologetic when it comes to calling out unfair, racist or sexist speech at home, with peers and in a larger sociocultural sphere. Whereas in the past one may have hesitated to expose the subtle jokes or comments that often poke fun at or disrespect an individual or a group, now it is normal to see politically correct vigilantes taking a stand against cruel criticisms on a daily basis.
While social media has given an opportunity to these numerous virtual champions to educate and bring light to certain topics, it also inevitably highly publicizes any offensive post, no matter how harmlessly it was made, to the entire world. These factors paired together cause the issue which has turned into an internet epidemic: public shaming. It’s extremely rare to come across a post on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook without at least a few negative comments. It is impossible to create any idea, statement or post without attracting at least one cynic. It is not so much these small snippets of negativity or backlash that are harmful, however. When posts go viral and a larger audience takes offense, more than social media cred is ruined.
Take for example, Adam Mark Smith, a successful businessman in Arizona who posted a video of himself berating a Chick-Fil-A employee for the company’s anti-gay marriage stance. The video was not so much shocking as it was extremely uncomfortable to watch. Smith pulls up in the drive-through and questions the young woman working, who stays polite and kind throughout, how she can live with herself working where she does. Smith accuses the employee of spreading and supporting hatred and records the entire encounter on his phone. Smith felt he was doing something right, taking a stand against the corporation’s prejudiced views, but he went about it the wrong way. After posting the video, millions online took a stand against the cruel way Smith berated an innocent employee. Smith, a father of four, lost his job and his home. His family moved into a trailer, had to start using food stamps and he is still having trouble finding employment.
There are countless more examples of people who have posted crude photos or made offensive jokes that go viral online and eventually lose their jobs, friends and sense of self. When one makes a mistake in a moment of bad judgment on the internet, it can never be erased. For those who have gone through a situation like this, many describe the constant anxiety that follows along with the death threats and hate mail sent by regular Americans to their doorstep. I am not advocating that we stay quiet when we see verbal injustice, but that we handle the undoubtedly regrettable speech with a little bit of grace. The internet makes it easy for us to find these weak moments and exploit them, but the truth is that habit will simply create an environment of hatred. The notion that public shaming is helping and is in no way a hindrance to overall tolerance is preposterous.