Updated… see notes at bottom.
I’ve been watching some so-called social media experts speak today from Izeafest, a social-media and internet marketing event at Sea World in Orlando. I just turned it off… had all I can take.
It amazes me the kind of behavior we follow in this country. Notice I didn’t say the kind of behavior we “allow”, that would be bad enough! No, we actually follow these people. We listen to them.
I’m not even going to begin to try and duplicate the language I heard from these speakers today, but I was uncomfortable, and I’m a construction worker, and I was at home! I expect, or am at least prepared for, certain language in certain settings, such as in the bottom of a ditch on a 100 degree day, or at the DMV.
But live, from a paid speaker, at a professional event that attendees pay $300.00 each to attend? I’m shocked.
I was going to bring my Christian values into this, but I’m not going to. We are a country of diverse religious belief and background, but we are also a country of strong moral grounding. We know right from wrong and we know how to speak with respect and respectable language.
I hope that once the population as a whole comes online more and the online population begins to take on a more accurate resemblance to the “real” world, that we once again establish some parameters of respectability and decency in our word choices.
Additional thoughts a day later:
Kim says I’m always wanting to push my stuff off the page because I don’t like some or all of what I wrote. In some ways that’s true and it’s because it’s not easy to cover every angle of a thought in a short post.
My feelings about decent language won’t change, but I regret suggesting that we shouldn’t follow people who use bad language. That may not be true all the time. Language usage, like the rest of human expression, is subject to continual error. But it doesn’t mean that the person, as a whole, is flawed in some horrible way. They may very well be people deserving of “overall” respect. But, given the chance, I would try and convince them that they would get further by changing the words they use and I think as a society we should stand-up for decency in public.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Amen Sister! I teach an adult ed class 2xs a year and recently incorporated into my syllabus that foul language in class will result in an immediate dismissal from that class with no credit for attending…The funny part is I don’t think I should have to do that…but I learned the hard way that I do…Amen!
I think that sometimes we (those of us who would like to live a more “respectable” life) tend to shy away from conflict and therefore turn things off, don’t attend, or suffer in silence through things that are offensive to us. I know I do. However, I am increasingly convinced that we need to do more, to be heard and make our opinions known. Only by speaking up will, what I believe is the majority, will be heard. I have made a goal to use my freedom to make my opinion known whether on the internet or in person. Thank you for your post.
Amen! I was at the DENTIST the other day and the language coming from the man in the room/chair next to me was so foul mouthed I could hardly wait until they shot Novocain into him to shut him up!!
It was horrible and no one said a word to alter or edit him in spite of the variety of others in the office.
Sad.
I went to a play the other night and the trash talk was every other word and of no use. It just soiled the show.And since the crowd was my age I know I wasn’t the only offened one .
I could not agree with you more. And you’re right – we do follow and listen to these people, usually with unfortunate outcomes, such as using the UNrespectable language ourselves, even though we are Christians with a college degree under our belts and have a fairly good handle on the English language. What is that saying…”garbage in, garbage out.” Says a lot about our society and how far we’ve lowered ourselves to use language like that at all – even at the DMV.
Kelley´s last blog ..Stop Him Before He Walks Out That Door!
Indeed! I listened to young people “clucking” constantly in front of families with small kids in a family hotel lobby! And was “dissed” for asking them to control themselves.
I was in South Africa last year, where everyone (black and white) call their elders either “auntie & uncle” or “mama & papa” if they didn’t have a name. I thought that was perfect, and goes with my own “son & daughter” when I don’t know a younger person’s name. No “hey you!”