Tuesday 23 October 2012

Where have you been?

So where have I been recently? I haven't been on twitter hardly at all these past few weeks, (what do you mean you hadn't noticed?)
Let me start this blog by saying I am NOT political, never have been and probably never will be but I hate injustice of any kind.
With that in mind you can maybe see why I sort of fell Into becoming a bit of a mouthpiece on social sites for sick/disabled and vulnerable people.
Initially I was being affected by the unjust changes being brought about by this government, my benefits were stopped and a fight ensued before they were reinstated and I was placed in the group I believe I should be in, although that's not quite the end of the story for me as my benefits will come under attack again at any time I am currently settled and managing on what I get.
So why would I continue to highlight the problems others are having and continue to fight the injustice this government is causing?
Because I care, strange as it may seem to some of you I care about what is happening to others, I always have had bucket loads of empathy for my fellow human beings, and animals, and any breathing thing actually, yes ok maybe my empathy levels are extreme but that is me and I can't change who I am can I?
So I have continued the fight in my own little non aggressive way for the past few years, RTing others, linking to articles etc and having my say when something really made me saw red.
At the same time I have some lovely friends on the social networks that I enjoy a chat and a laugh with and others who I have tried to support at times just as they have supported me when needed.
A few weeks back I made a normal frivolous comment and was taken to task for doing so by an activist that felt my ordinary comment showed apathy and the British malaise that was the problem with 'people' like me.
I answered and a few words were exchanged and forgotten and I moved on, a week or so later I watched the same activist using aggressive language to another person and although I was in no way involved in the exchange it made my mind up for me that it would be best to unfollow this person.
Mistake number one......I told them I was unfollowing and why.
A short exchange of words followed and that was the end of that......but for me it wasn't, I was genuinely upset, upset by the attitude shown towards me.
Now it is possible I AM too sensitive for my own good, things that really shouldn't upset me do, so what do I do?
Do I stay off the social networks?
Do I only follow and talk to my good friends?
I obviously can't harden up or I would have done by now.
Now please don't get me wrong, I am not laying blame at anyone's door here, the problem is mine and mine alone, I am just trying to explain my short absence.
So there you go, I am me, I will get upset at silly things at times and may well need a break from social sites, I will also continue to fight in my own little way.
For me the social sites are many things and we all choose how we use them don't we?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

4 comments:

Miss Benefit said...

I was taken to task for saying Eric Pickles was the last person to be telling people to tighten their bests. I was accused of being fatist (I presume that means anti fat people)?
From time to time I get accused of scaremongering about DWP and WCA.
Of course its upsetting when people accidentaly or even wilfully misunderstand.
However I treat social media like a pub I visit a lot. By that I mean the odd drunk wont stop me going. I;ll just try to keep as far away as poss.

Anonymous said...

Hint - if you are going to unfollow someone, do it without comment - they have no ammunition to come back at you with! Sorry you were upset by this person, unfortunately the Internet makes some people a lot more gobby than they would be in real life!

feline9 said...

I think in some ways the internet is easier to 'get rid of' people you do not care for, for whatever reason. I have only - so far - had 2 occasions when I was unhappy with someone (both times men and both time, they were too...friendly) I simply unfollowed, gone. I toyed with the idea of an explanation, but I decided that they probably wouldn't really care anyway. It did up set me, but much less than if they had been 'real' people. I did decide at that time that I would try to not follow so readily in future. I am very sorry you were upset by some moron, however much you realise they dont matter, it simply is nasty to have a stranger feel they have the right to address you in that manner. Glad you are back, and huge **hugs** winging their way to you xxx

Jane said...

There's a saying isn't there? 'If you don't have anything good to say then don't say it'. This should be applied to social media as well, so continuing the analogy, if you don't have anything nice to say, sit on your hands!'.

Sadly people happily say all sorts of stuff that they either wouldn't have the bottle to say to your face or would think about before saying it. Sadly too many hide behind their keyboards, causing upset as they put their thoughts in print without considering the effect they may have.

You can't change them any more, than you can change yourself from being affected by it. Unfollow, unfriend is the only option I think. Equivalent to avoiding socialising with someone in 'real' life. The problem is theirs, not yours that's for sure!