Sadaf VidhaIf you check social media daily, you would find that many people, especially the youth giving opinions about everything. Sometimes, it maybe something as important as TRAI regulations or who should be the RBI governor or India’s stand against Pakistan on terrorism or it could be something totally meaningless like a celebrity’s dress or makeup or their breakups and fashion goof ups and everything under the sun. Why does this happen?
Anger outlet
A lot of us are frustrated when our needs are thwarted. This is a daily phenomenon. Younger people are yet to get used to ways of the world and so, their frustration may be higher, fuelled by raging hormones. Therefore, when they outrage over something, it gives them an outlet for the pent-up frustration and anger.
The manufacturing of hate
There are many seeming permanent aspects of the world around us. However, news channels and social media deliberately create misleading/controversial posts in order to create an artificial buzz around it. Most of these articles try to convey suppression or oppression. It therefore obviously acts as a trigger to the gullible minds of the youth and they vent out strong opinions for or against the news article. This is such a hand in glove practice of most of the media and news channels.
Give opinions to maintain the moral compass
We all have a moral compass which we follow from time to time. However it is not always possible for all the people to share the same extent of morals and values. Therefore, even a trivial issue with a moral angle to it attracts several reactions and opinion to justify the moral guidelines with which they have been living.
Need for acceptance
The need for acceptance is common to all humans, but it shoots the roof in younger years. Peers are the most important source of social approval. Therefore, it is a domino effect wherein, if a trendsetter person or a cool group decides to comment on an issue, everyone else will follow suit. It may also be to seek acceptance from one’s own group.
Social status that those with ‘inferior’ morals
While social acceptance is very important, social hierarchies also form a very important part of our current social life. Therefore, mentally, we believe ourselves superior to someone, and inferior to someone. To maintain our self-esteem, we feel that it is important to have higher moral standards than the group that we consider ‘inferior’. This makes us react and reiterate our opinions even in mundane things.
Punishing others and a sense of power
Most issues are about targeting one person or one group for something they said or did. It is a proven fact that humans are the only species that enjoy punishing other humans. Therefore, even when reacting to mundane things, calling out someone wrong and punishing them by extreme opinions and reactions, gives a sense of power – something very valued and hardly understood, in youth.
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