Is social media allowing for too much lack of discipline, or is it just becoming the new norm for future generations?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 08:44:32 -0500

Funny how no matter the discussion or top of conversation where opinions are solicited, someone seems to get their feelings hurt. Not sure if it's more the younger generation having the time to spend online expressing their opinion at the expense or being borderline disrespectful or the older generation not understanding or being used to online etiquette. Are we setting ourselves up to foster an environment of disrespect to higher authority or expose our young leadership for moments where they could potentially ruin their career? Conversely, is this the training ground for building their skills on how the future leaders will communicate with each other?

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2014 8:58 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 08:58:31 -0500

People tend to feel a sense of security sitting behind their keyboard. Often things are said with out much thought of the consequences unlike when speaking in person. I have caught myself a few times wanting to make a smart remark in a serious discussion and had to stop myself. But there have been a few times I didn't stop myself in time, potentially ruining my credibility.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Nov 30 at 2014 9:03 AM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 09:03:23 -0500

IMHO, I believe that a lot of what we are seeing online is due to the change in our culture where online media is becoming more and more predominate. Seems that we do not communicate face to face where one can get a sense of the tone and tenor of the other person one is communicating with. As it is easy to bang out one's responses or pose questions behind the safety of relative anonymity of the computer, we can not often times know if their is sarcasm, respect/disrespect or even honest feelings behind what is "said". I also think a lot of this has to do with the manner in which parents raise their children now a days compared to say my parents generation. It feels, again to me, that parents step in far too many times when there seems to be any disharmony in the children's lives and whereas when I was young almost always the authority figure/seniors were not questioned as it was the students/juniors that needed to be corrected, it has turned 180 degrees to where the opposite now seems to be true and I think this fosters a sense of untoucability or false sense of "I am always in the right" no matter how I respond or what I respond with in younger generations. But again, that is only MHO and I being retired now probably fall into the "old fart"/senior category lol.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Nov 30 at 2014 10:22 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 10:22:10 -0500

Good question SFC Private RallyPoint Member. I believe your last sentence says it all. In a way, social media is a training ground. You can literally reach out and touch anyone, intentionally or unintentionally with your posts. When you talk to someone face to face you're more likely to think before opening your mouth and even in a heated discussion, tend to be more respectful. The anonymity that the computer provides is slowly fading into myth because after a few conversations/interactions with people, you get to know them. Unless you drop off the internet, there's not really any place to hide in cyberspace, you will be found. We need to treat social media the same way we treat face to face conversation. My oldest is 13 and getting exposed to social media through school. Everything - work, tests, grades is being done on the Google Chromebook. This includes talking with fellow students and teachers via email on a private school domain - you can't send in or out of the domain. We're teaching him that he has to watch how and what he says. Grammar and punctuation are graded as well so teachers will let students know when they are using too many abbreviations, are "texting" as opposed to writing and are not spelling correctly in emails.

Response by Cpl Michael Strickler made Nov 30 at 2014 12:12 PM

Cpl Michael Strickler — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:12:57 -0500

These issues have been around since the beginning of time. It is just that the internet makes the world smaller, faster, and much more convenient. Someone who normally would hold their tongue at work, because either there is no one there to agree with them or their coworkers are tired of hearing their ... can go online and find both a whole new audience and even others that agree with them building their courage to say "those" things.

As far as the feelings, that is just from the culture change of our society. Between mothers of America, changes in technology, and all those things that "hurt" us but get "them" more money people are lazier, looking for quick wins, and finding ways that society will cater to them.

While I feel that we will never reach the level of the Idiocracy movie, the gap between true leaders and intelligence will widen from "the rest of the herd" more and more. And coincidentally, I love technology, but spell check and calculators have got to be restricted for those with degrees or something, because it hurts us more than it helps.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

Idiocracy (2006)

Directed by Mike Judge. With Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews. Private Joe Bauers, the definition of "average American", is selected by the Pentagon to be the guinea pig for a top-secret hibernation program. Forgotten, he awakes five centuries in the future. He discovers a society so incredibly dumbed down that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made Nov 30 at 2014 3:11 PM

CMSgt James Nolan — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 15:11:08 -0500

SFC Private RallyPoint Member You are correct in that it can foster a environment of disrespect. Internet offers a degree of anonymity that is not available in face to face communications. It is easy to be a bad ass when you cannot put your hands on me.

Also, for whatever reason, many seem to think "it is only Facebook, or twitter, or snapchat" and that the activity is just for fun. Which is why you get folks saying crazy stuff about the President, Government etc.

I think that more and more, leadership is changing. Not that you need to be a Facebook ranger, but that leaders have to be aware of social media and know how to use it and to promote OPSEC.......