Earlier this week, I read a thought-provoking blog post about the nastiness and name-calling that exists in our world today. A few hours later, I noticed Facebook allows users to make anonymous posts in groups. It made me pause to wonder why social media platforms insist on enabling and feeding online trolls.
Welcome to week 26 of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week. In addition to online trolls, this week’s edition looks at reef friendly sunscreen, eco-friendly pets, testing cosmetics on animals, and Plastic Free July.
The Sunday Spark – Week 26
On my mind this week: Why are we feeding online trolls?
On Tuesday, this headline in the WordPress reader caught my eye: “The Danger of Insults like Sheeple, Woke, Karen and Snowflake.” As I read the post from Caz at Invisibly Me, I was reminded of how often I’ve heard those words thrown about on social media, in the news media, and even in my everyday life.
Coincidentally, a few hours after I read Caz’s post, I noticed something that I had never seen before when I went to make a post in a Facebook group—an “anonymous post” option. Why would Facebook offer such an option? Isn’t it just a way of feeding and enabling online trolls?
The power of our words
When I was a kid, we used to say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Over time, I’ve realized that’s not true. Our words have so much power to hurt others. I often wonder when name calling became acceptable behaviour. Why do we think it’s okay to label others with nasty names? I suppose when celebrities, politicians, business executives and other so-called leaders in society do it, others think it’s okay for them, too.
It’s not okay and it needs to stop! The dark side of social media makes it far too easy for insecure, small-minded individuals to hide behind their keyboards. When platforms like Twitter and Facebook fail to police this garbage, the evil grows like a cancer—giving a small number of people with hateful and extreme views way too much power.
My personal philosophy has always been to treat others as I want to be treated. That same value extends to my online activity. If I wouldn’t say something to someone’s face, I definitely wouldn’t type it in an online comment—especially to someone I’ve never met.
If you haven’t read Caz’s post, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a great read.
Let’s stop and consider the impact of our words on others and vow to strike these words from our vocabulary. The world needs more people who are willing to be an inspirational force for good, and fewer online trolls who get their kicks out of belittling and insulting others!
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Three highlights of the week
Every week, I make a point of celebrating milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- On Tuesday evening, my band 8-Car Pileup played a small gig at Maxwell’s along with two other bands. We had a blast. It’s so much fun to be on stage with other musicians, and to sing for other people.
- Strawberries are in season, and we’ve been eating a lot of them this week! They are so delicious.
- My daughter Laura celebrated her 23rd birthday in Vancouver on Sunday. She arrived back safely in Toronto on Wednesday evening. Now she’s home, we have two weeks to pack up her apartment to get ready for her big move to British Columbia.
Three things I learned this week
Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:
Reef-friendly sunscreen
Summer’s here and that means swimming, long hikes, and more time outdoors. Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands, and Aruba have banned the sale and use of chemical-based sunscreens. Chemical sunscreen is toxic to marine life, and the ingredients aren’t good for humans. Before you slather on the sunscreen, check the label. If you see one of these five ingredients, you might want to reconsider your choice:
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate
- Octocrylene
- Octisalate
- Homosalate
- Avobenzone
Natural mineral sunscreen is a safer alternative, but it is not widely available and also is not without risk to marine life. (Source: Surfrider.org)
This all makes me glad I’m not a sun worshipper. For organic and eco-friendly sunscreen suggestions, check out this post from Going Zero Waste.
Eco-friendly pets
Since my daughter’s last fish went to the beyond, we are a pet-free household, so I’d never given much thought to the impact of pets on the environment. Is your pet eco-friendly? Generally, the larger the animal and the longer its lifespan, the greater the impact on the environment.
Who’s on the list of eco-friendly pets? Turtles, hamsters, rabbits, rats (ugh), mice, spiders (even more ugh), guinea pigs, ducks, chickens, and goats.
(Source: Biofriendly Planet)
Canada bans animal cosmetic testing
This week’s passage of the 2023 federal budget bill made animal cosmetic testing illegal in Canada. Canada joins 43 other countries around the world who have similar bans. (Source: CP24) This change follows years of lobbying and positioning by The Body Shop who report that over 500,000 animals are used in cosmetic testing worldwide every year.
We don’t hear as much about animal cosmetic testing as we did a few years ago, so I was a bit surprised to hear this news. I mistakenly assumed animal testing was already illegal. This is an important reminder to do our homework on the products we buy and the companies we support.
Sustainable living tip: Plastic Free July is here!
Will you be participating in Plastic Free July this year? You can find easy swaps to make in my handy downloadable calendar. Here are seven items to consider from week one:
- Reuse everything at least once.
- Switch to bar soap.
- Take your reusable grocery bags to the store.
- Switch to shampoo and conditioner bars.
- Find an unwrapped deodorant bar and give it a try.
- Put some reusable straws in your purse or backpack.
- Carry a refillable water bottle with you, especially when travelling.
Imagine the impact if everyone on Earth made one small change this Plastic Free July! Will you join me?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
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What a great post. Love the tips for this first week of Plastic Free July and the name of your band. Are their 8 members in your band?
Thanks Wynne. Yes, we have 8 members in our band. One of the guitarists suggested 12-Car Pileup as a name. When two of us responded “No, there’s only 8 of us!” at the same time, we knew we had a winner.
I did not know that you are in a band. Also, now I need to go and check my sunscreen.
Yes, I’m a rock star wannabe. LOL
I will be looking at some other sunscreen options after I use up my current supply.
Social media has sold itself to money makers. Their rules are only to show themselves as a brand but when they encourage online trolls they lose respect. You are absolutely correct in saying that encouraging name calling soon becomes like a cancer disease, spreading everywhere making everyone sick.
You’re right Ranjana. I understand that these social media platforms are businesses but they seem to have no willingness to police this type of behaviour. I understand why so many people have closed their accounts.
i always savor the respectful tone of your blog posts, Michelle, AND the respectful tone of comments on WordPress overall. Maybe that is related to the fact that we can’t comment anonymously? As I have probably written before, I am regularly reminded in my Music Together classes how powerful — and often immediate — a force “monkey see, monkey do” can be… not just for children but for grown up human beings, too! Let us continue to interact as kindly and patiently and respectfully as we can manage here on WordPress… and on Facebook… and at the grocery store… and on the rock-n-roll stage! So glad to read that you continue to sing with your band of musical friends!!!
Hi Will! Thanks for dropping by. I always appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments on my posts. You’re so right about children. They emulate what they see from the adults in their lives. I knew that when my daughters were young but, now that they’re grown up, I see a lot of my mannerisms and habits in them. It’s scary sometimes but mostly good. LOL
I haven’t noticed the Anonymous Facebook post. Like you, I wonder why anyone would be interested in that? One would have to be living under a rock not to notice the general lack of respect that is far more prevalent now both face-to-face and online. I still think the majority of people are decent, but the whole “find your tribe” and bash anyone who has a different opinion than you is taking us ten steps backward as a society. It’s too simplistic to blame any one person for how we’ve gotten to this point, but as you say, words matter. When our political leaders or celebrities with large followings act this way, it’s unsurprising that others will follow down that slippery slope of no return.
I agree, Pete. It feels like people just want to point fingers and lay blame for society’s woes, but we got where we are over a long period of time. Each of us has to accept responsibility for our actions and for making our corner of the world a little bit better. If everyone did that, it would be powerful.
Wait…wait…wait…did you drop a little nugget about being in a BAND in addition to all of the other magical things you do, Michelle? 😊Let me know if I misread…and if I didn’t…I’d like to know more! And thank you for the links – just as Deb said. You give us so much to read/revisit…and the topic of unnecessary labeling, finger-pointing and shaming others online with taunts and anonymous drivel? Oh gosh. I hate it. Words matter, matter, matter and social media can be ridiculously destructive and hurtful – especially toward those who are fragile in this life. 💔
Ha ha. Yes you read that right Vicki. I’ve been singing in choirs my whole life but when my daughter Laura was a teenager we discovered School of Rock. She joined the performance program and loved it. Then I learned they had an adult program so I just had to give it a go. Our local franchise closed in 2019 but some of us former school-of-rockers still get together to jam once a week and we do a couple of gigs a year. We play rock, mostly 80s and 90s with some older stuff and some newer stuff thrown in. It’s so much fun and a huge stress reliever!
Oh my goodness…I love ALL of that…and the name — 8-Car Pileup? School of Rock? I love Jack Black (is that right?) and the movie of the same name, I think. I don’t know how you might share more…but I’d love to listen. You are one fabulous human, Michelle. Endless talents. xo! 😎🥰😎
You are too kind, Vicki!
Yes, the Jack Black movie was loosely based on the real life School of Rock, which has franchises across North America. It was a fun movie.
I shared a couple of videos in this blog post.
https://boomerecocrusader.com/simple-living-sunday-get-started-on-finding-your-ikigai/
Our band name when these videos were made was Wichita. Every time people come and go, we have to come up with a new name. I kind of like 8-Car Pileup so I hope the current group stays together.
Wow! Thanks for sharing the post w/the videos, Michelle! “What I Like About You” — a great way to get some pep in my step this Sunday morning — and you’re too modest. You are a beautiful lead vocalist! 🥰
Thanks Vicki. Glad you enjoyed the video! 🤘
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You filled this post with lots of interesting topics Michelle. I love it! I don’t do social media anymore and the troll issue was one reason why. Of course it’s encouraged even when outlets are making empty promises to derail the practice. It’s all about encouraging users no matter what they want to say.
Thanks for the links included. I love having things to check into later 🙂
Thanks for dropping by Deb! Yes, unfortunately social media is about volume rather than substance. I love Facebook for keeping up with family and friends but the garbage gets tiresome sometimes. I just keep scrolling…
About pets, I am afraid to say that cats are a big threat to biodiversity as they are predators, and continue to be predators even when they live with families feeding them. I don’t remember where, but they advice cat’s owner to keep them inside during the night because they are responsible of 10% decrease of biodiversity!
That’s an interesting point about cats, Cristiana. I suppose all animals in the wild are predators but most domesticated animals lose that desire to hunt.
Cats keep their instincts to hunt but they hunt for fun and bring back home their trophy to show it to their master. It happened to me many times when we lived in the countryside. Now that we live in a city with also a cat, I can see him attracted by birds but when he goes out I am checking on him. My sister who lives on the countryside, put on her cats a collar with a little bell to a scare birds off. And her cats sleep inside. Plenty of tricks to help other animals survive!
When we did have a cat, he was an indoor cat. We only used to let him out supervised but he definitely showed signs of wanting to hunt.
I spend less time on social media than I use to. It does seem to enable the cowardly trolls.
I’ve noticed that some sunscreens are ‘ocean protect’ now. They just need to stop making them in plastic bottles!!
Thanks Rachel. Yes, a sunscreen bar that is ocean friendly would be the ideal solution. Too bad I’m not a chemist!