Are Arguments on Twitter Purposeful or Do They Cause More Unecessary Drama?
May 12, 2014137 Views
Thomas Sheil- Pro:
Students have ever changing opinions that reflect their personalities. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow us to express these opinions in ways that can be shared with our peers.
By having the ability to freely post what we want on social media sites, we can learn self-control. We have the ability to express our opinions and this frequently gets a response from another Twitter user. This sparks back and forth arguments, better known as “tweef” or “twitter beef.”
Tweefing is a frequently occurring activity on Twitter. Typically after a significant event occurs, people will often tweet what they think of it. This almost always sparks a rebuttal from those with opposing opinions.
A large number of students get their news and information from Twitter accounts. These accounts need the freedom to say what they want. Some specialize in extremely biased news, to appeal to their audience. This forces people to read different opinions on specific issues and controversies.
Opinionated news is not all bad as it allows students to see different views on various issues. The problem comes when they are only influenced by one biased source. The beauty of Twitter is that people are always willing to share their opinions, allowing for a diverse amount of reactions to issues.
Another good part about public arguments on Twitter is the fact that there is such a large audience. Anyone in an argument needs to argue intelligently, as the audience is rather critical and will quickly jump on anything that is contradictory and does not make sense.
This also helps people deal with criticism. We need to be exposed to open ridicule at a young age so we can better deal with it as adults. Twitter allows us input from peers on our opinions, but we also have the ability to block those who are plain insulting rather than attempting to construct a legitimate argument.
“I really enjoy being a voyeur to arguments on Twitter,” Junior Steven Fonseca said. “Seeing how strongly people feel about controversial events and their different viewpoints says a lot about their character and allows me to see different perspectives.”
People enjoy being heard, and Twitter is probably the easiest way to voice one’s opinion. Other users can provide feedback and are very willing to. Also, with the ability to “favorite” tweets, there is usually a “majority rules” winner. In most cases, these fights end with respect, it is the way people respond that causes trouble. If all parties involved remain civilized and respect eachother, then there is no problem. Again, this teaches an essential life lesson.
If you do not have the ability to back yourself up with knowledge and therefore simply attack the other peorson, then you shouldn’t be involved.
Con- Matt Olson:
Although the Constitution gives students the right to voice their opinions, does that automatically allow students to say whatever they please despite the fact it could spark controversy or offend someone?
Twitter fights or “tweef” as students call them, have become common fixtures of students’ social media experience. Recently, arguments have broken out over religion,
abortion laws and even one another. While arguments such as these may appear harmless at first, they can become much more personal as arguments become heated.
“I’ve seen disagreements over Twitter spiral out of control and turn into fights where the original topic is no longer even discussed. It just becomes nasty insults towards one another,” junior Raquel Gleicher said.
Usually one would view conversations over intellectual topics as sophisticated; after all, being able to respectfully disagree is seen as a vital social skill. However, what raises problems about recent Twitter fights is that fact that there is little to no respect for the opinions of others.
In a typical Twitter fight the number of people involved can range from two to 20. While they are less physical than in-person conflicts, they are definitely more frequent and can sometimes be even uglier. On Twitter, one does not hear the tone of the response and people are quick to misinterpret what others are saying.
This can lead to spontaneous posts that only make the situation worse. In addition, people are more likely to say what they feel regardless of who it offends because the repercussions will not be immediate.
While students understand how this can damage relationships between peers, many do not comprehend that this can also be damaging to futures. “Students do not realize that colleges and employers look at social media accounts. When they see that a student is unable to respectfully converse with someone who disagrees with them it causes them to conclude that this student lacks social skills,” head football coach Jason Lomax said.
“I’ve been a spectator of such arguments and while I find them annoying and sometimes disturbing to view, it is very difficult to stay quiet when someone else is making fun of your beliefs. You sometimes feel obligated to get involved even if that means exchanging a few harsh words,” junior Chuck Reese said.
The main problem is that students have trouble accepting that people have views contrary to their own. This causes people to lash out at others rather than respectfully disagree with others. Students need to avoid this or else Twitter will become only a place of verbal conflicts.
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