Recently, local politicians have taken to online forums like Facebook to discuss important issues. They are to be commended for seeking a new avenue to connect with their constituents, but they, like everyone else, must tread carefully when communicating via the internet.
The internet has completely changed the way people communicate, both positively and negatively.
Thanks to the internet, the world is at our fingertips. It is the biggest knowledge base ever established in human history. You can immerse yourself in subjects once locked away to the average person. You can reconnect with old friends and family members that once would have disappeared from your life forever. The possibilities are endless.
But communicating on the internet is tricky. Even if you sign your name to a letter or a comment, the anonymity provided by a blank screen can entice you to speak in ways you normally wouldn’t. When all you have to do is press a button, you’re more likely to fire off that snappy retort you might keep on the tip of your tongue in person. And text cannot carry tone; remarks meant in jest can easily be misread.
Nothing said on the internet is ever truly deleted, and it is no less permanent a form of communication than verbal discussion.
Everyone would do well to remember that.
