Freedom of Speech
Steemit is different from other Social Media in that you can voice your opinions without having to deal with toxic comments from the community afterwards. On most forums and other online social sites having an opinion or point of view that is not shared by the multitude often leads to negative comments or just plain insults.
The World is becoming smaller
Because of the internet and the rapid advancements in communications we are now able to reach out to the furthest parts of the World in a blink of an eye. We are able to communicate and share things with people from other countries and cultures. In a way the world population is coming closer together.
But different cultures also means that often there are differences of ideas, morals and standards.
I believe that most of the time we try to respect each others beliefs but sometimes the anonymous aspect of the internet gets the better of us and we turn to the dark side.
The Right to Say whatever you want
The freedom of speech is very important. We have the right to voice our opinions even if they are not popular. The fact that we can be and think different make us stronger and helps us to grow as a species.
With the help of the internet and social media we can voice our opinions louder than ever. For a lot of people who live in oppressed countries and and the media is controlled by some weird dictator person or group this is actually a good thing. They are able to share their hardships with the world and draw attention to their difficult situation.
Even in countries where the problems are of a lesser kind the public can share their opinion about important matters to a large audience.
Free speech is good for society, it fuels public discussions about subjects that were often considered taboo to talk about
More and more we are online blogging and posting about conspiracy theories, racism, religion, sexual behavior and everyone with access to a computer or smartphone can contribute.
Crossing the lines
In the Netherlands there is an ongoing discussion about the boundaries of free speech. Our politicians have always been kind of dull (like most politicians I guess) but for some time now there has been a change. New left wing and right wing politicians have been more outspoken about some touchy subjects like immigration and religion. This new way of directness has had a lot of success with the voters forcing old-school politicians to also change the way they communicate with the public. Maybe it is the influence of the internet, maybe it is just the fact that the world is changing but being outspoken is becoming very popular.
However even with free speech there are lines that can not be crossed, some are legal like perjury others have to do with intentionally hurting other people like slander.
But where does honesty end and insulting another person begin?
Common Sense
Being honest and brutal are two different things. You might feel a certain way about something like religion or sexual preference but there are ways to voice your thoughts about those matter without hurting other people's feeling. Common sense is important in communicating with people about sensitive matters. Just blurting out every thought in your head will not lead to a healthy discussion. It is also important to listen to others and understand where they are coming from.
Steemit
Steemit is a perfect place for great discussions and sharing your thoughts. The community is civil and offers constructive criticism, even touchy subjects are discussed in the most peace like way. I have not yet seen inappropriate comments about someone's mother or wishes about catching some nasty disease (very popular in the Netherlands).
I know that that the drive for getting upvotes and followers has something to do with this but artificial or not it feels nice to be part of such a civil community.
If only the rest of the world could be a little more like the community here on Steemit. Fact is that in our daily lives we have to deal with an increasing brutal honest society that does not always care about other people's feeling. Most important thing is to keep an open mind and open yourself to opinions that may differ from your own. Like some ladies used to sing: "Free your mind and the rest will follow."
Does free speech give us the right to hurt other people? What do you think? Let me know in the comment section.
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Good article. I think Steemit is really an exceptional platform for the reasons you mentioned. I want to reply to your question though. People nowadays seem to be a bunch of cry-babies. If you want to find a reason to be insulted or to feel "hurt" you will find one. The truth of the matter is, communication starts with the recipient of a message. In the end the recipient's interpretation determines the "hurt-factor". You can always choose not to be touched by what other's say. Of course it might take some practice (I recommend meditation) to not be affected at all by what others say. But in general it's of course much nicer to have a constructive discourse without cursewords from the get-go. Tot ziens ;)
Thanks for your input. I do think that constructive criticism is a good thing but I do think that it matters how the message is delivered. And you are right some people can't take criticism at all and will always feel offended. Dank je wel :)
Great post, I totally agree with you.
I hope Steemit has a bright future.
Thank you. I am certain that the future looks very bright for Steemit. Glad to be a long for the ride :)
Yeah, i've only had to come out and disagree respectfully with one post so far in two weeks, because it touched a nerve. I've been to Rotterdam, wonderful place, and made a day trip to Antwerp as well, peace