Shaming and blaming

Humans love to shame and blame others in the best of times, but bring on a public health crisis and it turns hard core. Add the speed and reach of social media and now the toxicity has reached all new heights.

Some people shame when they feel threatened by something. They need an explanation, and they find a scapegoat. It helps them reaffirm their thinking and make sense of what’s happening.

Through social media, everyone has a voice and feels justified to use their voice in often harsh, hateful ways. Things are said through a keyboard that would most likely never be said face to face.

Shaming and blaming gives a person assurance they are doing everything right and the other person is making mistakes, when that is not necessarily an accurate picture.

Social media allows people to join together with like minded individuals to pounce on those with different beliefs. They behave in ways they never would as lone individuals.

A lone individual may give a raise of their eyebrows at another individual who is, in their opinion, making a mistake. However, they won’t often approach them and say the damaging things that they will later go post on social media.

Less shaming and blaming might not solve this public health crisis but it would sure make it more tolerable.

The things that are being said during the shame and blame game cannot be taken back and will leave lasting affects long after we have a handle on the public health crisis.