I am living in an age of digital warfare. Checking my Twitter every day is like entering no-man’s land. I cross unchartered territory full of nasty, sassy and despairing tweets. I’m tip-toeing over booby traps trying not to read a tweet that sparks an argument.
I learned a new term this week; sub-tweeting. This means “subliminal” tweeting. If I were to sub-tweet I’d be indirectly tweeting at someone or something without mentioning a name.
It’s just a nice way to say tweeting behind someone’s back and posting it to the Twitter feed.
I can imagine getting angry at something minute in school like someone smacking on a snack in a quite classroom. My next action would be to reach for my phone and tweet something along the lines of “some people need to chew with their mouths closed.”
I wouldn’t be directly stating that this aforementioned person is annoying me, but I would be stating that the action that their doing is irritating. It’s throwing tear gas at an unknown target.
The funny thing about this is that every time I read someone’s sub-tweet I get really self-conscious. I think to myself “well I was chewing kind of loud in 3rd hour, I wonder if they heard me…”
As high schoolers, we already walk that line tying to establish our individuality while finding that place where we fit.
These sub-tweets aren’t helping anyone. The tweeter will get no resolution because the offender doesn’t know who offended. Those receiveing the tweets can only guess at who is the perpetrator of the offense. If anything, the readers take it personally contributing to a sense of paranoia.
It compounds our problems. Instead of resolving issues out in the open, this age is ambiguously tweeting about problems.
My generation is totally changing the way frustrations, problems and conflict are dealt with by publishing out on the Internet for millions to consume.
I don’t see very many people facing problems head on anymore. It’s all turned into passive aggressive combat on the Internet.
I don’t like to indirectly tweet at anyone or about anything. I’m too scared of the shrapnel that might come flying back at me.
I’d prefer for people my age to deal with things outside of the computer screen instead of all of the sub-tweet business, but I’d rather not see anyone’s feelings getting hurt, directly or indirectly.
But for now, I have to continue cautiously checking my Twitter being hyper-aware of the distant gunfire, hoping no one is aiming for me.
