Online Behavior, Real-Life Consequences: The Unfolding Of A Social Media Scandal
Online Behavior, Real-Life Consequences: The Unfolding Of A Social Media Scandal
Source: Hidden Brain | NPR Podcast (Listen: 53 min)
Contributor: Selena Garcia
“EVERY NOW AND THEN SOMETHING WE SAY OR DO CAN IGNITE A FIRESTORM. AND THEN NOTHING WE SAY, NOTHING WE DO, CAN UNDO THE DAMAGE.” - SHANKAR VEDANTUM
This is a story about f*cking up. This is a story about being on the ground while the punches keep on comin'.
While this particular account mainly focuses on William (last name not shared, and you'll understand why), the overall message can apply to a variety of f*ck ups.
The way William keeps going despite it all and the way he continues to show up and learn is admirable. These are stories we need to hear.
If you've f*cked up, and you need to be reminded that you are not alone, I hope this story inspires you to get back up, get back up, and GET. BACK. UP.
“IF I EVER DO SOMETHING WRONG, PLEASE TELL ME, CALL ME OUT FOR IT, AND I WILL LOOK YOU IN THE EYE, TELL YOU I’M SORRY, AND THAT I’LL DO BETTER NEXT TIME. AND I’LL MEAN IT.” - WILLIAM
For those of you who do not know Shankar Vedantam, he is an American journalist, writer, and science correspondent for NPR. His reporting focuses on human behavior and the social sciences. Shankar is great. He helps tell William’s story.
SHANKAR: “This story is about a fault line that runs through our lives. On social media we’re encouraged to be quick, clever, edgy. The funny videos and amusing banter we engage in seem low stakes. But they are not. A larger world is watching. It’s usually silent, but every now and then something we say or do can ignite a firestorm. And then, nothing we say, nothing we do, can undo the damage.”
(35:48) WILLIAM: “I kept my head down, I was staring at the edge of the table, and I was very closed off. I can remember the way I felt—my shoulders were kind of closed in, my back was hunched. My hands were between my knees except when I was going in to eat something, and I was pretty intent on not really saying anything. It was one of those moments where you want to crawl in a hole.”
(39:00) WILLIAM: “I remember lying down on the range, and I called people I promised I would call if I was ever having any trouble and talk to them. I kept lying there for probably another half-hour, forty-five minutes, and then I drove home white knuckles on the steering wheel just telling myself the entire time ‘don’t swerve into the barrier, don’t swerve off a cliff, whatever.’”
(39.29) SHANKAR: “And then, it got worse.”
(49:18) WILLIAM: “I tell people how when they meet me in a serious context, if I ever do something wrong, please tell me, call me out for it, and I will look you in the eye, tell you ‘I’m sorry,’ and that I’ll do better next time. And I’ll mean it.”
Listen to this in it’s entirety. It’s a great story!
LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST, HERE. (53 min)
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