Emotion

by Asalia Alejandre

 

Three news reporters can be seen laughing uncontrollably at a model tripping.

This woman trips out of a small bucket during a Fox interview of an event.

If you laughed at any of these two videos then your a part of a bigger problem.

What I mean by that is the fact we can find humor from someone else pain and embarrassment is just sad. Even though it feels pretty harmless to laugh at someone tripping or walking straight into a wall proves that we have become desensitized to feel empathy for others. Sure, it sounds hilarious but imagine if it were you that someone or a group of people were laughing at you? Surly you would want to believe that somebody out there can share their similar embarrassments with you.

Not only we lack empathy but we falsely portray our personal emotions and personas

  • Some people have gone to extreme lengths to keep the illusion of their perfect lives by lying and cutting off people important to them.
  • Creates this illusion that we must have this ideal body type or we are considered ugly to society like a women being thin and a man being physically strong.

Abusing the privilege to express freedom of speech

  • People can say whatever they want, no matter how messed up it is online and get away with it by claiming that they have the right to freedom of speech.
  • However the Amendment also says that we can say what we want but as long as it doesn’t hurt or offend others.

Cyber bulling is the new trend according to bullies

cartoon of bruised boy beside laptop; being 'cyberbullied'
Illustration by Jillian Tamaki 

 

Bulling has always been around throughout the decades. From a nerd’s lunch money being stolen to a person contemplating their life because of what someone said and did to them online.

 

“Catfishing the phenomenon where internet scammers create fake online profile, identities, and entire social circles to lure people into fake online romances”(Daphne).

Another form of digital bullying is catfishing. 

An example of this can be seen in the tragedy of Megan Meier who believed she was in on an online relationship with a  boy named Josh Evans. The two texted back and forth but one day Evans posted to one of her online profiles saying,”I don’t know if I want to be friends with you any longer because I hear you’re not nice to your friends”(Patchin). Evans then began to post demeaning comments calling Meier “fat” or “slut.” Thus causing her to commit suicide at the age of thirteen. Eventually, Meier’s family discovered that Josh Evans never existed but Lori Drew was the one behind their daughter’s tragedy. Drew was the Meier’s neighbor and admitted that she,”created the profile as a way to spy on what Megan was saying about her daughter.” Lori Drew was eventually jailed for her criminal offence.

If anyone uses social media in a way that hurts and harasses someone online is considered cyber bullying.

Social media websites selling out for profit through falsified information

  • Social networks attract a lot of traffic onto their websites by allowing some fake news to spread and go viral.
  • Not only is it wrong but from a business perspective: Genius.
  • The way how a website makes money is by placing ads Ex: Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • The more online traffic a website generates, the more likely its ads will be clicked on.