I Want to Comment on That Ignorant Post

Every day, I open up my chosen social media platforms, and there’s a new batch of uninformed, hateful, rage-baiting posts that promote twisted forms of Christianity or power-hungry politics.

The algorithm seems to know they get to me. And I don’t like how it’s affecting me.

Sometimes it feels like I’m standing in the wilderness with the satan tempting me to comment or share just to make them look like an idiot. It’s tempting precisely because it is so easy to spin in a positive light.

Shouldn’t someone hold them accountable?
Confronting hatred isn’t wrong!
If they were attacking me, wouldn’t I want people to comment in my support?
Creative communication is an effective tool against oppressive messages!
Am I being silent because I’m afraid what people will think?

For all these reasons and more, I’m not condemning people who comment or use social media to stand up to immoral leadership or disinformation. I’ve done my fair share, and I plan to continue advocating online.

However, I am increasingly convinced of two things:

1. Algorithms, bad actors, and their lurking supporters actually relish in the negative attention. A salacious takedown comment might get more likes than the post itself, but that doesn’t do much to protect real people or promote tangible justice in the community. In fact, it might help their next post be even more successful! Controversy is priceless in an algorithmic reality, and we’re somewhat addicted to chaos (so long as it’s entertaining).

2. The more I dwell on these posts and imagine ways to “defeat” their authors, the more my imagination is shaped by sarcasm, cynicism, polarization, and attention-hunger. But part of my life’s purpose is be a witness for redemptive imagination.

I don’t live in some ivory tower where I can cultivate a redemptive imagination without noise, anxiety, anger, or resistance. We live in a world full of wildernesses! None of us can avoid the wilderness completely. Delete social media and there will be a new wilderness waiting for you in some other tempting form.

I think we’re actually meant to learn how to walk through the wilderness without losing ourselves.

Ultimately, I believe there are more effective ways for me to resist authoritarianism, Christian nationalism, and other forms of oppressive leadership.

For me, it looks like practically loving my neighbors, living a beautiful and good life, organizing people for social change, writing for depth over popularity, commitment to nonviolent resistance, building bridges for the common good, and spending far more time with people than social media.

So the next time I see an ignorant or disingenuous social media post, may it become a reminder to get outside and lean into the communities who are imagining a better world.