Are People Online Too Negative?

Hjuasdfasef

Wed, 2010-03-03 17:05

In my blog, I've chosen being positive from the very beginning of writing it. But I've noticed one strange thing: all my optimism goes to a post and after that I have nothing left for life! I can step aside and take a positive and ironic look on my everyday routine only with a keyboard in my hands... But when I go back in my shoes of doing endless boring things, I'm getting irritated, annoyed, depressed... Negative! All my "floweres" are in the blog. And "garbage" is the only thing left for the offline world...

Sat, 2009-03-28 12:50

I agree that in the news, on the internet, and out in the world, there seems to be more bad news than good. You really have to look hard to find an uplifting story. It's funny that you chose this topic right at the moment when my friend just started a new blog filled with feel-good, inspiring stories. If you're interested, take a look: http://dailydoseinspiration.blogspot.com/.

Wed, 2009-03-25 11:27

Yeah...what Erin said!

Kris7

Wed, 2009-03-25 10:09

growingupartists:

Haven't seen Brad Pitt.

Although STL is all abuzz about George Clooney's new movie being shot around here. He may be easier to run into (not that I'm trying).

Generations went into creating that sweet little town and I know we can't just hurry up and recreate the loyalty that comes from history. But I wish so much that we could merely acknowledge each other...and not just to participate in a comparison war ending with a tattle to the home owner's association (ugh). Patience would be huge step.

BTW, I wasn't trying to slam people who were raised here. It's just that newcomers outnumber them greatly.

Kris7
Working hard at www.sccworlds.com

Tue, 2009-03-24 20:10

I, personally, did not really get into this topic all that much either. But I'm also not hounded, like so many other mommy blogs are, by trolls or firestarters, so perhaps I have very little room to speak.

But, in general, I don't think it's that people online are too negative. It's just that proportionally, we're hearing and seeing and reading more comments and responses from people because of technology than we had ever been privy to in the past. It's just a matter of numbers, really.

There's not an increase in the number of people who are inherently negative and seek out others upon which to unleash their bile. They just have a global audience now instead of just bitching to the cashier at the grocery store or the barista down the street.

And I think I would almost rather see it happen virtually than have them lashing out at people in the real world. So, if this forum in any small way allows those types of people to vent their frustrations and offload a little steam, maybe it's helping in the long run.

Maybe Snapped! and Nancy Grace run out of things to talk about.

Maybe more women bond and support and stand up for something or someone in a way they might not have felt capable of doing at the grocery store or Starbucks.

And maybe once the negativity runs its course, they walk away with a point or two to ponder, and then maybe, just maybe, they turn around and stand up for someone else.

The Adventures of Saia and Chago

Tue, 2009-03-24 11:27

i gotta say, i'm not really feeling this episode. maybe that's because i don't find the internet inherently negative. if you're like my neighbor who scours websites to find cute photos of puppies to send on to friends, then the internet is the happiest place on earth. if you cruise websites looking for doom and gloom news, then it's sadness maximized. that's the beauty of the world wide web -- it's got a little something for everyone, whether it be happy, sad, irreverent, incendiary, informative, pornographic, funny, interesting or dull. it's the bathroom wall. and god bless it! it's fabulous.

Tue, 2009-03-24 09:00

How do I retain my optimism online? I've thought about this topic A LOT.

When I started my blog last July I named it Becoming Something with the idea that it would be about me becoming something BETTER but with the realization that sometimes I falter and I end up in a rut where I'm just becoming SOMETHING. Something annoying, something lazy... whatever.

I decided early on that I didn't want my blog to be a ventathon. I don't really care to read other people's negative ranting so why would they want to read mine? But then it creeped in a little bit because I have been STRUGGLING with hypothyroidsim and it leaves me feeling horrible approximately all the time.

I've recommitted myself to saving my venting and complaining to Facebook, where my real friends, the only people who care about all the unhappy stuff, can read it and comment and comfort me. And I'm saving my blog time for information, inspiration and fun.

Early on I also implemented Daily Gratitudes, to keep myself in check because I know I have the tendency to complain. Even on the crappy days, I try to come up with 5 things for which to be grateful and I try to make them different. I'm surprised at how many people have commented that this is their favourite part of my blog. EVEN THE CRABBIEST PEOPLE I KNOW. They say it's their favourite part. One friend picked up the idea within her Facebook Notes. A few people have started the same practice on their own blogs. It's an easy way to end a post on a positive note without having to wrap it up in some cliche "moral of the story" ending.

I'm going to be doing a feature where I add the Daily Gratitudes of other people to my post, every Sunday, linking to their blogs. If they've decided to add this same feature to their blogs.

Also, I decided a couple of days ago to devote every Sunday (when I'm always home and not really busy) to this idea of Becoming Something. I'll write something related to self-improvement or world-improvement.

As far as Twitter goes, I've noticed that humour does rule the day and it's easier to be funny when being snarky. It's much harder to be funny and pleasant. It's the reason why I don't read a lot of popular mom blogs. They often have a negative tone and it's such a downer. Name five popular mom bloggers whose blogs are mostly perky and positive.

Tue, 2009-03-24 07:43

Hmmmm. I feel like somewhere along the line cynicsm got mistaken for verve. And negativity got mistaken for intelligence. I feel that we just need to face our quirky realities, whatever they happen to be at the moment.

Rebecca, I agree with you that I have an obligation to spread positive energy. That idea is very concrete to me. However, I never want to sacrifice my genuine experience, which isn't always positive (to say the least). & I did very much appreciate your last post about it. It was optimistic, but more than that, it was warm.

Hey, here's an idea: how about we be vulnerable. You know, real. Through and through. Because only people that don't feel very safe around one another intimidate each other with preconceived notions of how they "should" feel or be. Not that it's bad to do this; it's just, maybe there's a better way.

growingupartists, i love your articulateness which reads like a stream-of-consciousness poem.
Now, I know you're not really apologizing for that, right????

Viva la mama,

Cynthia
http://www.therichmama.com/

Mon, 2009-03-23 16:32

so, here's some negative-thinking for ya... i logged in to momversation this morning and saw the topic posted for today. first thing that came to mind... "LAAAAAAAAME!" so i left it alone for a while and went about my morning.

but then i came back to it... why? who knows. i was curious, i guess.

when we first moved to annapolis, i wrote the following post on my blog...

http://www.mybottlesup.com/2009/01/up-north.html

i'm a southern gal. i like my smiles, my "heeeey" greetings from people that i know and don't know as people pass each other by. i like the friendliness that i became so accustomed to while living in the south for years. and it's not here... up here... in yankee-ville. (sorry yanks).

it's taken its toll on me, mentally, it really has. and i didn't expect it to. so the combination of now living up north (ok, it may not be "up north" for you, but it is for me), and the economy, and the joblessness, and the whateverthehellitisthatpissesyouoffonadaytodaybasis... has taken its toll on me.

while i disagree that it's an "obligation" for us, as bloggers, writers, twitterers, whatever... i do agree that spreading the love can only bring about goodness. and we all could use a little goodness here and there.

yesterday, paul and i celebrated jackson's 11 month birthday by walking to an ice cream shop. it was 45 degrees out, but i wanted jackson to have a cake cone in preparation for next months bath in his birthday cake. so we went, ice cream was shared, stories were told... and i watched numerous random strangers smile at paul and i as they watched our son destroy his cake cone, attacking it with his mouth, his hands, and his 8 teeth as if it was the greatest treat ever.

and i liked knowing that jackson made a bunch of people smile.

Mon, 2009-03-23 06:53