Why People Love to Hate

In this Social Media World, I notice more and more how people just love to chime in and comment on everything.  While comments can be good, most of the time it’s people speaking up saying something negative. Why? Why do we feel compelled to hide behind a keyboard and give our negative 2 cents?  Is it because someone posted something, and if they take the time to make a post, then I get the right to put it down?

Not only do I see this on company posts, news posts, but even with friends’ posts.  And what gets me is not just negative comments, but the no comments at all. Yes, it can be annoying to see posts from people bragging about this brand new car, or this brand new purse, or a brand new huge house.  But, instead of hating on that person for boasting what they’re proud of, why not just unfollow? Why does it make us feel better about ourselves to put others down?

I look through the Instagram feed of my friends, and I see a transition from just photos you’d casually take, to staged photos you seek out.  What could be a narrative of your life is now becoming a facade, just to show off to your friends, family, and collect more followers. I might post a picture of my daughter covered in mud with a caption along the lines of #EpicFail.  Then, I’ll see someone with a child the same age, and they have a perfectly posed portrait of their kid holding a butterfly. We all know that’s not real. And as I type, I have just done what most others would do: comment on the fake-ness of the photo.  Did I get anything out of that statement? No, I’m no different. Do I feel better? Maybe momentarily.

Social media, while a great tool, can also easily facilitate jealousy.  Instead of being proud of someone’s purchase or promotion, we become jealous.  You might not think you’re jealous, but it’s more of a subconscious thought. Does that then cause us to be more subconsciously jealous all the time?  Do we then start looking at the world, our experiences, and feeling those jealous thoughts all the time?

So, here’s a new challenge:  don’t show hate when you see something on social media, or in real life.  Try and keep your judgmental posts/comments to yourself. Throw in a like for something you might have rolled your eyes at in the past.  See if that makes you feel like a better person, overall.