‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda,

I WAS scrolling through the local community page on the weekend and came across a cheeky post.

The post didn’t raise an eyebrow, but what did was the pile-on from adults hating on this young person.

It seems strange that people over a certain age would stoop this low.

Why are people so cruel on social media, and where are the checks and balances?

Gina T.

Dear Gina,

The vision that came to mind reading your post was of Taylor Swift in an outfit reminiscent of Jayne Torvill (from Torvill and Dean fame), skating over the hate (metaphorically) and shaking it off (literally).

Community pages, despite their mission to be fun, friendly places for people to share stories and pictures with each other, are sometimes (unfortunately) a breeding ground for behaviour that wouldn’t be anticipated (or tolerated) elsewhere.

For every genuine post about a missing cat or a person needing a handyman to fix a sink, there’s an unnecessarily cruel laughing emoji or a completely unrelated rant.

These attacks ensue with a level of unconnectedness akin to Bob Katter side-swiping a conversation about same sex marriage and replacing it with a focus on limbs being torn off bodies by north Queensland’s crocodiles (sans Bob’s adroit conversational dexterity).

This is despite very clear group rules with more good behaviour cues than a school anthem.

Are the group admins overworked? Complicit?

Trying to moderate posts but really working for ASIO and taking notes on potential security breaches?

Nigel from the ATO cross-referencing cashie requests?

Retired sportsmasters (feeling dispensable, sports-related bunions, socks and sandals, more self-loathing than Sue Sylvester from Glee)?

These are questions I cannot answer, Gina.

I do know, however, that the behaviour people display in person is very different from the behaviour some people display from their keyboard.

The psychological effects of trolling are also very real, so the role of a moderator is an important one.

As is the role of an editor (if mine thinks I’ve been unnecessarily cruel to retired sportsmasters, I apologise for my own – until now subconscious – residual hostility over a poorly-timed balance beam transition and a lunchtime detention).

All I can suggest is to lead from the front, Gina.

Post sunsets and sunrises, help search for lost dogs, never post a picture of someone’s poor parking skills, call out racism (and all the other ‘isms) and don’t stoop to the pettiness of mocking spelling errors in a futile game of one-upmanship.

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.