Blogging: A Great Way to Become a Healthy Criminal

Scientific American recently published an article about a new study that was conducted on the health effects of blogging. The study, conducted at Harvard University, has results that suggest that there are psychological benefits to expressive writing in blog format, “Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery.” Another study that was published in the February issue of The Oncologist reported that “cancer patients who engaged in expressive writing just before treatment felt markedly better, mentally and physically, as compared with patients who did not.”

After reading this article, I reflected back on some of my own struggles in my life; at one particularly rough patch I recall feeling much better after writing my thoughts and feelings down in a journal. I think that there is something very therapeutic to be able to express all the thoughts that fill your head each day and put them into words via writing. However, it would have been helpful to me had I had received some positive feedback from others when I expressed those feelings; instead, my words just sat there and stared back at me. Nancy Morgan, the lead author of The Oncologist, states, “Unlike a bedside journal, blogging offers the added benefit of receptive readers in similar situations. Individuals are connecting to one another and witnessing each other’s expressions—the basis for forming a community.”

Once I had finished reading this article and perusing through more articles about all these added benefits of blogging I began to reach the conclusion that everyone should blog. It provides a platform for people to do what they do best: complain. Imagine not having to see anymore lengthy Facebook rants and Comment Wars in your newsfeed. If everyone had their own blog you would only see people’s opinions by choice. I know that I, for one, would benefit immensely from being spared from my weird extended family members opinionated posts filled with cringe-worthy undertones of racism and eye-roll inducing claims to being discriminated against as a white male. (Am I the only one who has to block some of their extended family members on Facebook??)

As I stated before, I was coming to the conclusion that everyone should blog specifically due to the health benefits. Then I began to wonder, are there negative health effects from blogging? Is blogging as healing as people make it out to be? Turns out, the answer is no; there are some serious side effects to blogging, most troubling being the legal side effects. I found another article from the L.A. Times that discussed the rise in blog related lawsuits.

In Pennsylvania, a judge recently ruled a community website must identify the Internet address of individuals who posted comments calling a township official a "jerk" who put money from the taxpayers in "his pocket." Since the official also was the owner of a car dealership - whose cars were called “junk” by one commenter - he also sued for defamation of his business. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, you can now be sued for calling people mean names over the internet. While websites are not liable for the comments left on blogs or the blogs themselves, under federal law they can, however, be forced to reveal the poster's identity if the post includes false information presented as fact. If you call someone an idiot or a jerk, you would most likely be safe from legal ramifications because it is stated as an opinion. But saying that someone wronged you, (i.e.“pocketed” public money) can lead to a defamation claim because it is stating it as a fact.

But the most incredulous thing is the rulings that are made against some of these bloggers. Hal Turner, a right-wing blogger from New Jersey, faces up to 10 years in prison for posting a comment that three Chicago judges "deserve to be killed" for having rejected a 2nd Amendment challenge to the city's handgun ban in 2009.

Overall, I think that while blogging is a great way to experience health benefits especially in times of distress, we always have to be conscientious about what we are posting online. The majority of people have zero clue as to the liability they face when they post anything online. Eric Goldman, who teaches internet law at Santa Clara University put it well when he said, “A whole new generation can publish now, but they don't understand the legal dangers they could face. People are shocked to learn they can be sued for posting something that says, 'My dentist stinks.' "

So, are many bloggers on the path to find better psychological health as well as unintentional criminal charges? The jury is still out on this one.

Sources:

“Blogging - It’s Good for You” Scientific American

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-healthy-type/

“Bloggers Beware: Posting can Lead to Lawsuits” The L.A. Times

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/23/nation/la-na-blogger-suits-20100823

Kilroy's Bar Incident: A Response

The Kilroy Bar media case (links below) is a wild one from the start. It is one of many incidents that are becoming all too common due to the expanding platform that is social media. There are many issues within this case. The first is the increase of businesses now using social media to promote their business. While a great idea for PR reasons, having a public social media account for one’s business is entering a whole new realm of communication with the public. As the IndyStar article pointed out, the Internet is still young and has yet to lay down a list of rules of engagement. Because of the anonymity that social media provides, people often are much more aggressive online than they ever would be face-to-face. When a platform is offered to voice their unsolicited opinions on, there’s a good chance that issues are going to arise. The rules of how a business and a customer are supposed to communicate over social media have not been set.

I do believe, however, that the manager was justified in his now dubbed, “scathing response.” The unhappy customer who made the post on the Kilroy Bar FB page was out of line. This whole situation could have been easily avoided in a multitude of ways. It is hard for me to fathom feeling so entitled that you can only think about yourself and the outcome of your NYE party when there is someone in need of desperate medical attention a few feet from you.  The way in which the customer conducted herself is a prime example of the type of people who have the “it’s all about me” mentality; the people who are in need of a serious reality check. The last time I checked, the world does not revolve around a singular person and the sanctity of their night out. For example, she stated that “The manager also told us someone dying was more important than us being there making us feel like our business didn't matter, but I guess allowing a Junkie in the building to overdose on your property is more important than paying customers who are spending a lot of money!!!” Even though the supposed ‘Junkie” turned out to be an elderly woman who went into cardiac arrest while having dinner with her husband and son, it should not matter either way. A life is a life. Her lack of compassion for human life is disturbing.

As I was reading through other articles on the incident, I also became aware of the fact that many other Facebook users have created a mob mentality surrounding the event. She was forced to deactivate her FB account due to how many harassing messages she was being sent. NYDailyNews.com reported that another, unrelated woman who happened to share the same name, was also receiving death threats. Eventually, people began to track down where the unhappy customer worked and demanded that they fire their employee for her actions. Serenity Salon later posted that, “This was the actions of one person and does not reflect our views or code of conduct. We will be personally taking this matter into our own hands and ensuring the right course of action is followed.” Another article, DailyNews.com reported that the woman has since lost her job because of the incident.

This has officially gone too far. While the manager was right to reprimand her for her poor behavior, death threats and loss of employment is going overboard. I would like to know more information about how the management at Kilroy’s Bar is managing the negative reaction to this woman. I was disappointed in the violently negative reaction of others. Legally speaking, anyone sending death threats could be prosecuted for harassment. Ethically speaking, the whoever sent the woman the messages are no better than her; they lowered themselves down to her level. The incident should have stopped after the manager made that comment; what continued was only detrimental to the whole situation and everyone involved.

My personal belief is that if you are going to engage with others across social media platforms, you have a fiduciary responsibility to be civil and mature. I encourage people to express their opinions and give feedback, however, there is a right and wrong way to go about it. Knowing the right time and place to post your beliefs is imperative. How you go about doing so is equally important. Another thing to take away from this is learning to treat people who work in the service industry with more respect. I have heard countless horror stories from my friends who work in retail. Everyone in the world could use a healthy dose of compassion towards others. While times are changing and fads come and go, being a good person will always be in style. The Golden Rule will always apply.

Sources:

Boroff, D. (2016, January 8). Woman who threw fit while patron had heart attack out of job. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-threw-fit-patron-heart-attack-job-article-1.2489904

Dailymail.com, W. R. (2016, January 04). EXCLUSIVE: The hairdresser who posted a rant about a diner ruining her New Year's Eve meal by having a HEART ATTACK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3383021/The-manager-told-dying-important-Cold-hearted-bar-customer-goes-rant-saying-New-Year-s-Eve-ruined-woman-having-HEART-ATTACK.html

Mazza, E. (2016, January 4). Indianapolis Diner Complains Her Meal Was 'Ruined' By Heart Attack Victim. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kilroys-heart-attack-response_us_568b1b42e4b014efe0db7953

Social Media and Communication

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“There’s a set of rules that anything that was in the world when you were born is normal and natural. Anything invented between when you were 15 and 35 is new and revolutionary and exciting, and you’ll probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re 35 is against the natural order of things.”   Douglas Adams

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There will always be those who claim that technology, specifically social media, is the sole cause of the “laziness of our generation.” They - usually being the Baby Boomers, claim that we - the Millennials - are too absorbed in our phones and our tablets. We are all too quick to ask Siri if we need a jacket for today’s weather forecast before we even consider stepping outside and checking for ourselves. We have become absorbed in our social media sites and often a common source of distress comes from not getting enough likes on Instagram. And they do have a point, the introduction of social media has changed communication, ultimately making it faster and more simple. We will forgo whole sentences and instead all you will hear is a conglomerate of randoms letters flowing from our mouths. TBH, OMG, LOL, BTW, LMAO, SMH, IMO, the list goes on and on. Which for some, especially the Baby Boomers, is making communicating with younger generations slower and confusing.  However, I’d like to make the argument that social media has enhanced communication to a much greater extent than it has hindered it.

Social media gives people the chance to communicate with other people who are separated by whole continents. In chat rooms, you can find like-minded people that can offer support and information. On online dating sites you can meet your soulmate. On Facebook you can befriend people in other countries and see what they are up to.  But not only is social media connecting us to people we have never met, but bettering our communication with people that we already do. In Seth Masket’s article, “Don’t Fear the Network,” he also claims that, “The online world isn’t supplanting the off-line one; it’s enhancing it. We no longer need to lose touch with neighbors who move away or with school friends who graduate; we can keep friends for life and still make new ones.” So not only are we enhancing the possibilities of people and organizations we can now communicate with, but we are enhancing already existing relationships no matter the distance. Say goodbye to snail mail and long distance phone bills, now you can video chat, direct message, and snapchat people all across the world in a matter of seconds. Social media has made interpersonal communication faster, less expensive and more personal.

Not only is social media connecting us to new people, but it is connecting us to new ideas. These ideas are enhancing our own communication; our opinions, our voices. Now with the simple use of a hashtag you can be connected to information from all across the world; getting updates on issues and events happening whole time zones away, in real time. With 140 characters you can express your opinion and add to that conversation. Social media can connect us to new concepts we’ve never heard of before and give us insight. It is allowing us to approach tolerance and understanding before prejudice and disdain. The list the top hashtags of 2015 - Black Lives Matter, Pray for Paris, Stand with Ahmed, Refugees Welcome, and Love Wins - demonstrates how people are genuinely trying to turn to education and information first before developing their own voice on the topic.

Overall, not only is social media enhancing our communication, but our communication is enhancing our social media. I believe that as we continue to create more places and ways for people to interact, the quicker ideas like human rights and freedom of speech and religion will be able to impact more people; enhancing the human experience for everyone, everywhere.

Sources:

Masket, S. (2014, June 2). Don't Fear the Network: The Internet is Changing the Way we Communicate for the Better. http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/networks-changed-social-media-internet-communication-82554

Refinery29 (December, 2015). “This Was 2015, According To Twitter Hashtags.”

http://www.refinery29.com/2015/12/99095/2015-a-year-in-hashtags#slide