I don't "social network" much, partly due to being busy but also because of a really distressing mean streak that seems to pervade. Snarking about life, the Universe, and everything is one thing--life is frustrating and I often feel snarky and sarcastic about the way things are too. But being directly mean and attacking whole groups of people verbally is so unnecessary and it really brings me down when I see it. This is kind of a pervasive problem on Facebook in particular. While I understand that meanness is often a knee-jerk reaction to having been hurt, I really wish that people would realize that they are not doing anyone any favors by spewing venom onto the entire world. It may sound stupid but I find these negative energies very distressing, and this is why I don't social network very much.
My writing sister
Rose (she has a book coming out sometime this Spring!) feels the same way but out of necessity for promoting her book she tries to do it although she has said that she usually feels a lot worse after a bout of social networking than she did before she started. People are very quick to attack, to be snide, to generally display their rotten side. You know the world is tough enough without us being assholes to each other too.
I've been accused of being too sensitive my entire life. But I'd rather be too sensitive than to spread gloom and hate all the time. Life is hard enough. We should be supporting each other in our fight through it rather than bringing each other down further.
