Many avoid confrontation out of fear
Anonymity can grant a platform for harassment and gossip
Derrick Skaug
The Daily Evergreen
Published: 02/27/2009
A resident found 10 printed pages on her residence hall room door that read, “Girl from ground floor who brings her boyfriend upstairs to use the bathroom, Stop. Thanks.” The same note had been posted on the second floor bathroom door a few days earlier. The upstairs bathroom is co-ed, which is why the note seems unfounded and unnecessary.
I was sadly unsurprised by this note. We are a generation of cowards. With each new communication invention, it has become more convenient for individuals to avoid actual confrontation. The popularity of Facebook, MySpace, e-mail and text messaging to solve problems has caused our generation to practically shun face-to-face communication.
The problem gets even worse with Web sites like Juicy Campus that allowed users to post anonymous, uncensored gossip about classmates. When people are allowed to say things without their name attached, those comments can often become nasty and amount to harassment or worse.
Papers do not publish nameless letters to the editor for a reason. When unnamed individuals are given podiums to speak from – be it a newspaper or a Web site – nothing good can come from it. The most common reason people wish to remain unknown is because they are ashamed of being associated with their opinions.
If people are ashamed of their opinions, they are probably not worth airing. During the Civil Rights Movement, one of the most difficult problems to overcome was unfounded arguments supporting segregation. The real threat was the nameless death threats, the white hoods hiding the members of the KKK and the ability to remain hidden as merely one out of many in a mob of hatred.
Those who are afraid to identify themselves are cowards. Nadia Sulaiman – commonly known as the “Octo-mom” – has had so many nameless death threats against her she had to hire police protection. It is pretty pathetic that people would actually waste their time to write any sort of note to the “Octo-mom” in the same way it’s pathetic that someone would post 10 notes about bathroom usage.
The virtual world has warped the way we work and interact with each other. People are willing to type and text things that they do not mean and would never say to someone’s face. Most message boards and online games are flooded with personal attacks, profanity and generally offensive remarks. In many ways, a person would probably find more wholesome conversation sitting in a bar full of drunks than reading what people have the courage to say in the unknown faceless cyber world.
The old adage used to be “If you cant say something nice, don't say anything at all.” The new adage should be “If you don't have the guts to let people know that you said it, then don't say it.” I'll admit it. It’s me using the bathroom. Come find me if you want to chat.
