Just Don’t Be a D*ck

I feel like this should go without saying. But, sadly it’s something that must be said, and repeated on an hourly basis.

Just because you have an opinion or a thought, doesn’t mean you should express it. And just because you follow a certain celebrity on social media, doesn’t mean you know them.

Everyone grows up a fan of something. Be it a band, artist, sports team, actor, or athlete, we’ve all at one point in our lives idolized and been a fan of someone.

People tend to think this person can do no wrong. They put them up on a pedestal, and believe their life is valued over all else. And now, thanks to various forms of social media, people tend to feel like we truly know these people. They feel like because of the photos and stories shared online, it has effectively inserted them into their life. When in reality, this is far from the truth.

I’ve seen it happen in all sorts of “fandoms”, or whatever you’d like to call it. A celebrity does something: posts a picture, tells a story, shares a tweet- and thousands of people feel the need to flock to it to pronounce their opinions.

I’ll use an example of an athlete- and NHL hockey player. It was 2019, and the Leafs and Bruins were facing off in the playoffs once again. One of the Leafs players, Kadri, had gotten himself suspended (again), for a dangerous hit to the head of Jake Debrusk. Now, what do you think the logical thing some Leafs fans thought was acceptable? (Please note: there are awful fans of every team. There are awful people everywhere. This is no way expands to all Leafs fans). They flocked to his Instagram, and began to comment on his pictures. They were degrading, cruel, and unnecessary comments. And then, just when it Couldn’t have possibly gotten any worse, they began to harass his family. Can you imagine that? Being so irrationally angry at a person you’ve never met before, and who has done absolutely nothing to you, and beginning to comment on his and his family’s stuff with threatening messages? Why do people think they have the right to do this?

Social media is great, in the exact same ways it’s not. It’s a great way for people to connect, share thoughts and opinions, and unite with fellow fans. At the same time, it’s a terrible place for people to showcase their awful opinions, thoughts, and people with mutual hatred get together to try and make people feel like they’re worthless.

It’s sad to think about all the other examples of this there are out there. Go to any page of most popular celebrities; I can bet you you’ll find hatred flooded in the comments sections of some of their posts. You’ll see celebrities post on their stories about being harassed, or their friends and family being harassed. What do you get out of it? Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it help you in any way? Odds are, the answer is no.

On the flip side, there are those who will go to the ends of the earth to defend their favourites. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done, they will stick up for them regardless, even if it means demeaning or tearing others down. And again, what makes you think you know this person? And do you think this person honestly cares? Do they know you exist?

As people say, it costs nothing to be a good person. It’s SO easy to just not be a dick! I’m not saying you need to agree with everything everyone does, what kind of world would we live in if that were the case? But if you’re going to voice something on social media, maybe ask yourself these questions:

Is it necessary?

Does it do me, or the person my comment is directed towards any good?

Would I say this in person?

What would my friends and family think if they saw my comments?

Maybe, just maybe, if more people would stop to think before posting, social media would be a lot more positive place. The rate we’re going at now, we’ll all be cancelled soon anyway.