senior Scoops

Social media at its worst

Nextdoor is a social media site that focuses on the micro-community. Unlike Facebook and Twitter’s global reach, it is a neighbor-to-neighbor forum. A Nextdoor post is not likely to spread more than a few miles.

The site is a good source for recommendations — folks are more than happy to share the name of a good plumber or restaurant. It is also a great place to get the word out for local events, church, and school functions. The site also has a marketplace component — a virtual garage sale of sorts. These features are all helpful to the community, and free. Sounds good right?

Here is where it goes off the rails

Intentionally or not, the site has evolved into a virtual town square. Neighbors come together and share their views on issues facing the community and beyond. This aspect of the site bears an unfortunate resemblance to its more established cousins, Facebook and Twitter. 

Ideological and political battle lines are drawn, and alliances are formed. Combatants volley insults, masquerading as opinions–safely ensconced behind the firewall of their computer screen.

What makes Nextdoor particularly toxic is that sniping is amongst neighbors. One needs to be careful who they call a moron, they could run into them at the next block party.

An issue that regularly rears its ugly head in our corner of the internet is the high crime of ding-dong-dash. You know, when a couple of bored adolescents ring someone’s doorbell and take off running. 

Annoying? Yea, I guess. 

But, it is not worthy of a seventy-five post discussion, complete with a porch-cam video of the offense, threats of armed retaliation, and promises of prosecution to the fullest extent of the law?

Go ahead brand me an America-hating bleeding-heart liberal, hell-bent on destroying all that is sacred and good. Threatening a childish prank with lethal force is an overreaction.

Some of the more self-righteous posters lay blame on the kid’s parents, claiming the behavior is indicative of a weak parental hand. They will then proudly add, “there are no ding-dong-dashers living under our roof! — we nip that nonsense in the bud!” See y’all at church!

Imagine a neighbor calling you a bad parent, in public, over ding-dong-dash? It happens on Nextdoor all the time.

Neighborhood hall monitors

It would be my guess that the demographic on Nextdoor leans over forty.

I am a bit older, a baby-boomer, born in the mid-fifties. For a long time, our generation has been behind the curve with technology. We are catching up. We now know how to use our phone cameras and post pictures. 

Congratulations fellow boomers we have come a long way! 

But, sometimes our newfound talents get the best of us. We do not have to document, with photographic evidence, every slight, every transgression, or oversight by our neighbors.

If someone is hogging two parking spaces at the mall, move on and find another space. I don’t think leaving a picture of their poor parking job with a snarky remark on Nextdoor is going to make them change their ways.

Nobody likes to clean up after someone else’s dog. But, do not need a picture of the evidence? That is disgusting to everyone. Make an attempt to find the offender (the owner, not the dog) and ask them to be more considerate — you will have a better outcome.

Posting a video of the homeless guy at the grocery store is in poor taste. I am certain he has been humbled enough. Call the police if he is a threat. If he is not, which is likely the case, leave him alone. He has as much right to be there as we do.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Yeah — right!

Of course, all the pics and videos on Nextdoor have accompanying commentary, emojis, likes, and replies. The whole shebang!

The bottom line

Social media has become a black hole sucking life from public discourse. As personal interactions are increasingly taking a back seat to electronic messaging, so too have common courtesies. We are becoming more and more willing to toss toxic posts-bombs into the abyss of the internet letting them fall where they may, regardless of collateral damage.

Will one of those bombs land on an impressionable, troubled, teenager contemplating shooting up his school? I don’t know, it is worth a thought. 

Perhaps one will land on a mother working two jobs to keep her families head above water. Her load is heavy enough already.

Let me recognize here, the bombs are launched from both sides of the divide.

We all have a right to voice our opinions, our founders guaranteed that. With rights come responsibilities. Maybe before we shoot off that clever retort that will “own” our opponent, we should reflect on our motives. Are we being constructive or feeding the monster. 

Nextdoor by no means sits at the nexus of what ills us, it is a minor player at best. But, if we are continually taking potshots at our neighbors, any hopes of broader reconciliations are futile.

Person-to-person accountability and respect need to make a comeback.