We are often “caught-up” in internet conversations with a limited toolset to use for communication. Limited characters, limited time, limited to text, and limited to modes of communication that each create a set of barriers to communication that keep us from fully fleshing out the post that we make on social media.
Barrier 1: We forget our connections to individuals. In the face-to-face world, we have a limited number of friends, relatives, or family members we are willing to share our intimate thoughts and fears with. These individuals know not only what you say, but what you believe.
Barrier 2: Many of us are reactive communicators who respond quickly, but often in a manner that is not always fully mature.
Barrier 3: The first draft is not always the best version of the thought post. Communication immediacy, rather than a nuanced discussion.
Barrier 4: We post on our own social media pages to reach a wide range of friends, followers, and the public. “You can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.” You have control of what you are thinking, but not what the reader interprets when reading it.
Barrier 5: Discussion and arguments on the internet escalate at maximum speed, which is seldom seen in person. Face-to-face conversations facilitate compromise in a personal way that cannot be achieved online. All too often, we depersonalize online posts and comments.
These are just a sample of communication barriers that are universal to social media. I have posted the following (in a similar version) on all of my social media:
“Opinions I express here are my own!
Repost, likes, etc. don’t imply my support.
Think for yourself.”
What does this mean?
I try, to the best of my ability, to express my opinions clearly on my social media pages. You may not fully understand these opinions if you and I have not spent time together discussing a particular issue.
There are many political opinions I don’t fully explain in my social media posts.
There are many opinions on self-defense that I don’t fully explain in my social media posts.
There are many opinions on the Constitution and Bill of Rights that I don’t fully explain in my social media posts.
There are many opinions on learning that I don’t fully explain in each of my social media posts.
There are many perspectives on information science that I don’t fully explain in my social media posts.
There are many opinions on “more coffee, less hate,” which I don’t fully explain in each of my social media posts.
Many different friend/follower groups comment on each of my social media posts. Their opinions are not my opinions.
I base my opinions on my best knowledge of a subject. You might not be fully aware of my education, training, or reading on the subject. By the way, I seldom comment on issues I don’t understand. Again, the barriers described above limit our ability to communicate entirely through social media.
I often repost memes, videos, and posts from others. These reposts are not indicative of my support of others’ opinions. There is a broader context to all the reposts that may not be clear when communicating entirely through social media.
I often “like” posts from people and groups I follow. These reposts are not indicative of my support of another’s opinion. There is a broader context to all the reposts that may not be clear when communicating entirely through social media. I believe everyone has a vast, almost unlimited right to express their opinion. I may like many things I adamantly disagree with, based on what a particular post expresses. However, I support broadcasting their views. Public expressions of beliefs, ideas, and opinions are essential, and they should not be suppressed – we move forward through ideas and discussions.
Yes, I will argue opinions with others – even with myself. I’m a scholar.
“To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear,
To inquire and answer inquiries is the business of the scholar.”
– Samuel Johnson
Dr. Jeff M. Allen 