My Internet is for Recreation

i am an adolescent girl who has visited social and commentary websites for well over four years now. i enjoy meeting people, and talking and debating common interests. this remains interesting as long as these conversations are civil, non-profane and without insult. this is what makes the internet recreational and fun.

however, there are several people on the internet who treat this recreation as seriously as real life.

there are those who feel they cannot get their point(s) across without a barrage of insults, profanity and false accusations regarding the character of the subject. this is a sign that people take the internet much too seriously.

there is a great irony amongst these people, referred to often as "trolls" or "haters." they use terms like "misinformed," "ignorant" and "immature." the true irony is that these people are projecting the same qualities while simultaneously using those terms. it's quite ironic when they are the ones, in fact. using the term "hypocrite."

the vast majority of these people are instigators who, while they claim to advocate peaceful conversations, they make it abundantly clear that they will not be happy without some sort of disagreement, argument or fight.

there is no negotiating with these people to an acceptable civil conclusion.

after the time i've spent conversing with people over the internet, i've come to the assessment that in the grand scheme of things the mindsets of these individuals is just not important.

in the united states we are struggling to deal with the worst economic recession in several decades, fighting two wars, attempting to control our borders from illegal immigrants, and pressing for an effective answer to the most devastating man-made disaster in the country's history in the gulf of mexico. that's just the tip of the iceberg; there are a slew of other local, national and international issues facing our citizens as well.

so in looking at the big picture, are comments courtesy of these internet instigators really all that important? anyone with any measure of an education would answer that in the negative.

so why do the instigators continue? is there some reason they can't enter reasonable society? are they taking the internet too seriously?

in my opinion, the third question is the most likely. i view the internet as i view going to a theater to see a movie. it can be a nice diversion for a couple of hours, but it's no substitute for real life. the internet, like a movie, takes you away from reality for a while, but when it's done you go back and live in the real world. that's all there is to it.

it's baffling why these instigators of negativity would spend their recreational time desparetely trying to drum up controversy. it seems that's the only form of entertainment they have at their disposals.

i choose not to live like that. there are so many more important things in life with which to deal. in the past i have engaged some of these people in their debates. i've since discovered this is seldom, if at all, productive. my likely responses to this now include blocking those who are vulgar or offensive, or completely ignoring those with whom there can be no peaceful resolution.

i strive to be as positive as possible whenever i can. i do this in the hopes that i may provide an optimistic outcome rather than to contribute to the problem. i've learned many, many things from my parents. in dealing with the issue of internet instigators i always remember one lesson in particular: "be part of the solution, not part of the problem." that's one of the best lessons i will ever have learned in my life, provided i adhere to it.

it is said that a lesson in futility means doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. continuing to engage these instigators is just that. there is no changing their mind and, if i feel i am correct, there should be no reason for me to change mine. continuing to engage would be to expect a different result from the same thing. it makes no sense.

perhaps the band Love and Theft have an applicable point in the chorus in its song, Dancing in Circles:

"why do we go dancing in circles when we know it never ends. we get so close, so close to living this way. we come so close to loving each other like sisters and brothers and we go dancing in circles again."

this shouts out the lesson in futility, a lesson from which i am proud to have learned. i choose to not play that game.

i am not always correct. in fact, i wouldn't want to be. being correct is not how a person learns. rather, we learn from our mistakes and wrongness. i have no problem with that and, to that end, strive to be the first to admit when i am wrong. the humility i have learned in my short life has given me that.

why should i engage the instigators? the mere fact of the matter is that i should not. they are an anchor weighing down the vessel of recreation of the internet. i choose not to enable their negativity.

that is why i will choose to ignore these people; not because i believe i am better than them, not because i am giving myself accolades for being correct, and not because i think i am the only one who has a right to contribute to a conversation or forum.

i choose to ignore the instigators because i choose to spend my recreational time in a more positive, interesting and fun manner. that is my reasoning; anyone who would tell you differently is misinformed.

additionally, i would not force my course(s) of action on others. that's not my right. if there are others who choose to do the same, that's their decision and they have their own reasoning behind it. that is their decision to make for themselves. if others choose do react differently, that's their decision as well, and i respect that.

i, for one, choose to do this because i believe there are more important things with which to occupy my recreational time over the internet rather than deal those people who'd rather insult, downgrade and fight.

that may be important to them. it is not important to me.

~ Kassandra