Lies are not new. Sadly, people have been telling lies for centuries. Hiding behind a keyboard or phone has brought lies to an entirely different level. When Caller-ID came into play, people began not answering their phones when they did not want to talk to someone. Because the receiver could see who was calling, this gave them a heads up and the ability to avoid specific calls. If asked why a person did not answer, they would lie. No one ever would say, "I saw your name come up on the caller-ID, and I chose not to answer."
Social media, in all its many platforms, has allowed people to share opinions, call names, argue, boast, and lie. Sometimes a user will create a false identity (creating a lie just by signing in) to troll people to pick on them, start a fight with them, or provide them with disinformation (which is the new fancy word for LIES!)
I have spent a reasonable amount of time wondering if all of this technology has enhanced our lives or hindered us. On the plus side, families and friends can instantly share posts, pictures, and live videos from miles away. Keeping in touch has never been easier. People have access to their finances and health records, and schools can stay in contact with students and parents, if necessary, easily and quickly. Suppose you are wondering how to pronounce a specific word, what that word means, how far it is to Iquito, Peru, or what is an enormous spider. In that case, you can "Googleâ„¢ it" and get instant answers! (This is a plus and minus. People are getting so used to obtaining everything quickly that many lose or have no patience.) Oh, and let us not forget Blogs! Blogs are absolutely a positive. *insert side smile here*
Access to so much information would seem only positive; however, there is a lot of untrue information on the internet. Trying to sift through what is real and what is fake, what is fact and what is an opinion, can become tiresome, frustrating, and all but impossible. Another negative, in my opinion, is people are not familiar with the facial expressions and body language of others. That component is missing when reading text. Even on a video chat, something is missing. I do not feel that a person's entire personality can come across as well through a video as in person.
Aside from the internet, texting is an entirely different ordeal. The nuances seem to be different depending on your generation or collective group. I wrote about what a simple letter "k" in a text can mean and to whom. (If you missed it, you could read it here.) People will read texts how they, the reader, feel while reading the text. This feeling is not indicative of how the writer of the text was feeling. Suppose the reader had received the text sooner or later, depending on what was happening around the reader. In that case, they might interpret the text vastly differently.
Texting makes it easier to be less than honest. Besides not answering and then lying about why you did not respond, by its very nature, texting tends to be short. As such, texting has created a response that often lacks detail. This lack of detail sometimes is filled in by the reader. Other times it causes an idea in the reader's head that might be entirely off the mark.
Communication has always had its difficulties. Social media, the internet, and having a cell phone on your person twenty-four-seven may connect us more often and faster. Still, it makes us a little bolder with our fibs. It is easier to ignore others and send a simple "k," leaving the recipient to figure out what that letter means and not caring if they get it right.
Take some time away from the cell phone and the internet. Spend some one-on-one time with the people you love. Most of all - Do NOT believe everything you read on the web.
Love Lots; Smile Often
MommaHattie