Monday, April 16, 2018

Let People Enjoy Things

One thing I really hate about social media, and the Internet in general, is the complete lack of respect some have for the interests of others.  I'm all for civil debate, some would say I thrive on it, but why would anyone make it a point to seek out those they disagree with simply to be rude?

News articles online often have a comment area.  Almost any NFL related post is fated to elicit "I'm boycotting" and "Nobody cares".  Articles about TV Shows not only get "Who cares", they get "This show sucks" and "Should be cancelled".  Let's get one thing out of the way - if you take the time to read and comment on articles, you are not boycotting the subject and you obviously do care. 

I can understand to a point if it's on social media - it came up on your wall.  Plenty of things come up on my wall that I don't care about or that mention a show I don't (or no longer) watch.  I feel no need to inform all my friends who still watch Once Upon A Time that I quit watching several years ago, that the show sucks or should be cancelled.  I don't care about the superhero stuff, but it'd be presumptuous to declare that no one else does.  Contrary to popular belief, I even manage to ignore posts I find mildly offensive. 

Another trend that annoys me, a variation of this theme, is the "real" thing.  I'm a huge fan of The Walking Dead and I roll my eyes every time someone asks why Maggie hasn't had her baby yet.  But I don't say "A real fan knows that it's only been a couple months according to the show's timeline". Of course not - there are plenty of franchises I fall short of being a "real" fan of.  I know how I'd feel if I got that kind of response in one of their forums.  "Real" men can wear pink.  "Real" women can fix a flat tire.  As for a "real" Christian...  I'm pretty sure none of us is God and therefore qualified to decide that one.

Let people enjoy things differently than you do.  Let people enjoy things you don't.  Let people enjoy life in general.  They aren't hurting you.  They probably aren't hurting anyone. 


 

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