Communication

Everyone has been in an argument at least once in their life, though online arguments are very different. What can start out as just a disagreement of facts can turn into personal attacks. Online, people cannot be seen or heard through texts and forums, so messages can be interpreted in many different ways than intended. In addition, some people encounter “trolls”--people who just cause drama with no reasoning. Arguments should be avoided. This can be achieved by using ‘Thumper’s Rule’ which Sean mentions on socmedsean.com^[1] and it is simply, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” However, sometimes arguments can’t be avoided, even with trolls. It’s best to keep calm and polite, and ask important questions to keep a better understanding. According to Robert Biswas-Diener from psychologytoday.com^[2], “Don’t unwittingly cross the line yourself...swap out curiosity for criticism. Try asking questions, `Why do you believe that?’ ‘What do other experts say?’ `How widely held do you think your view is?’ Treat your online community members the way you would treat people living in your neighborhood. If you can’t, simply ignore them”.

In the digital age and with a global pandemic, social media and other forms of online communication are heavily used, but not everyone knows how to act. One of the most annoying posts are those of an attention seeker. If one wants to make friends or seem like a pleasant person, they need to be respectful. The site thetoptens.com^[3] provides a great list of annoying internet actions. Online, everyone speaks their opinion and that is a free right,but not every single opinion needs to be corrected, criticized or argued against just to show how educated the accuser is. Showing off one’s intellect can be impressive at times, but is not always necessary. Other actions such as “trolling”,or purposely trying to stand out of a crowd by always being “different than anyone in the world” can already give someone a bad first impression. Now, there are other ways people can be an attention seeker and can change that behavior. They might be seeking attention,possibly by putting themself down all the time, purposely begging for sympathy, or have some disorders and mental issues that cause these behaviors to occur. According to Stephanie Kirby from betterhelp.com^[4], “When you notice that someone you care about is engaging in this toxic behavior, you can help them to move away from this destructive pattern of attention seeking. The best route is to avoid getting angry or lashing out at them for their behavior. Instead, approach them to express concern and reassure them that you are there for them.”