Shutting Down Dissent is an Act of Cowardice
Controversy isn’t new to social media. I think I joined Facebook in 2006, but people were arguing politics and religion online long before then. There’s something about the tubes and wires of the World Wide Web that emboldens people to make bold, controversial statements, even when they know that people they see often will see them. This is where social media serves public discourse well, as long as the discourse can flow civilly.
But sometimes, I’ll see a strong, controversial statement followed by “If you disagree, just keep scrolling.” What? The person making the post obviously knows there’s a controversy around the topic because they’ve anticipated disagreement. Posting an opinion that will raise hackles isn’t a problem. The attempt to shut down discussion is as problematic as it is pointless. If you don’t want to defend your position, why put it out there? If you are going to publicize your ideas, you need to be prepared for some disagreement.
The Nature of Social Media
Social media is designed for interaction and conversation. The platforms are coded so that you post something and someone responds, someone else responds to the response. Each platform wants you to maximize your time on theirs, that’s why the back-and-forth is the blood and bones of the operations. You’re supposed to respond.
Making controversial statements by the very nature of the act invites responses, and that’s going to include responses in opposition to the original post. If you post something that’s a hot-button topic, you’re really hoping to get some kind of reaction. I really believe that people who make a statement that they know will evoke strong emotions will get someone mad. Especially during election years, and around political topics in general, people love riling up the other side.
Social media lends itself perfectly for conversations along those lines. Even microblogging sites like Twitter and Bluesky provide for responses to original posts, generating what almost constitutes a conversation. If we will allow it, we can gain amazing insights by reading the opinions of someone we disagree with — as long as we do so with an open mind.
The Inherent Cowardice of “Just Keep Scrolling”
When I see “if you disagree with me, just keep scrolling,” I see that you’re trying to shield yourself from criticism. I believe that you don’t understand your own position strongly enough to mount a defense of your position to my counterpoint. The statement itself implies that you’re afraid of being challenged on your position. You can’t handle true intellectual engagement and debate.
There is immense value in discussing differences openly and respectfully. The reality is that neither side will hold all truth and fact. Neither party knows everything about their own position, and neither party knows much at all about the opposition’s position. There’s a lot to be learned from a conversational exchange, and to shut that down before it begins is an act of cowardice.
The Importance of Accountability
If you’re going to say something in public, own it – take responsibility for the statement but take responsibility as well for the very real possibility that you may be wrong. Because you may be wrong. If you care at all about truth, wouldn’t you want to know if you have your facts wrong? If not, I’m willing to repeat my statement about your cowardice.
Dismissing opposing views without giving an audience cuts off opportunities to grow, to learn, and to be accountable. Yes, you lose accountability, and yes, that’s a bad thing. Accepting the mantle of accountability enlarges you as a person, makes you more. Builds you. Adds color, aroma, texture, and taste to your world.
Furthermore, meaningful discourse helps refine your own arguments while it allows you to better understand others. If you want to deeply and profoundly know your own position, do the exercise of defending the opposing viewpoint sincerely. It’s an excellent way to see opponents as equals, rather than something less than human, which is what you’ve done when you eliminate the entertainment of an opposing viewpoint.
Inviting Controversy Without Courage
If you can’t be bothered to fully explain your position, I believe it’s possible that you don’t really understand it yourself. People hold beliefs handed down through generations, never questioning the bases for them. It’s not disrespectful to question those beliefs, in fact, it’s more respectful than just accepting them without any thought at all. If you question, at least you’re thinking about it.
Your parents were human – and they got some things wrong. Some of what they taught you was perfect for their life and times, but very wrong for yours. Your preacher is also human, and he’s not any more entitled to spiritual enlightenment than you are, so if what he’s told you is just something you’ve repeated all your life, are you sure you believe it, or is it just something you were told not to question?
It’s not brave to say “If you disagree, just keep scrolling.” It’s brave to say, “If you disagree, tell me where you think I’m wrong and show me why.” It’s brave to look at each of your beliefs and examine deeply why you hold them. It’s brave to ask yourself, “If there’s no good reason why I believe this, is it something that is serving me to hold on to?” Yes, even your religious beliefs. You should know why you believe what you believe. If you tell me because your preacher told you so, I’m going to ask, “What if your preacher was wrong?” If you shut me down before I can ask that, I’m going to call you a coward.
Engaging with critics is part of the deal you make when you post something strong and controversial. You don’t get to call those shots. If you mess with the skunk, you have to deal with the stink.
Your Turn
Having strong opinions is fine, in fact, it’s great. It means something matters a lot to you. If it matters to you, where did that come from? You learned it somewhere. Did you learn it correctly? What if you only learned part of it, and the missing part is in that other half of the conversation that you’re shutting down?
Embrace the discourse that can come when you encourage others to respond to your controversial statements! But to do that, you have to be willing to admit that there’s a possibility that you’re at least partly wrong. Can you do that?
I feel pretty strongly about this. I’m willing to call someone a coward if they use that phrase, “Just keep scrolling.” Drop a comment below and let me know if you think I’m wrong. 😀
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