The Social Media Dinner Table
Social media has become a ubiquitous presence in our daily lives, but sometimes we take it for granted. We tweet, post Facebook updates, share Instagram photos, and reveal our innermost thoughts and desires for the world to see all without a second thought to how our actions impact those around us. Sometimes it's harmless fun, where the only casualties are our own wounded pride and hurt feelings (if we're lucky). Of course, things can get taken a bit too far, and no matter what we say we can never take our words back. That's just how life is.
There's a "dad" saying that when you're at the dinner table, there are three things you shouldn't talk about if you can help it--religion, sex, and politics. Social media is like that dinner table, only it makes the table more crowded by adding race to the list. Everyone is comfortably off in their own conversations, the mood is light, and suddenly someone says something someone else doesn't like--and then a fight breaks out. In no time at all, the dinner table is a mess.
You can clean up the dinner table, but you can't get the stains out.