What Boils My Egg

There’s nothing more exciting for a nerd, such as myself, than going back to school during an election year. Being able to engage colleagues and professors in constructive and informative discussion is the reason we’re here – to learn and grow in our beliefs. But there’s one, large hindrance that is stopping our full potential…

You know what really boils my egg?

Online debating. With the coming election on most Americans’ minds (not including those who are still weeping over the cancelation of ‘Jersey Shore’), it’s no surprise that political discussions are the hot topic of the past few months. And yet, the method of conversation has become rather…tricky.

One would assume that the introduction of social networking would make it easier to send a message to family and friends about topics that are important, but it’s actually become more difficult.

I consistently see people share propagandist photos from both sides of the spectrum, without doing research behind whether or not they are truthful. Like Chicken Little himself, the people of the Facebook community treat it as if the sky was falling and burrow their heads in the sand.

It’s not just with politics or social issues. People will debate almost anything nowadays, from whether or not the new flavor of Mountain Dew should be pink or purple, to whether or not ‘Breaking Bad’ should end this season (and trust me, it shouldn’t end ever).

The most irksome part of these debates is that they happen online. The ability to provide a sharp and witty comeback is lost when someone responds to a post three hours later, usually regurgitating information they scoured from the Internet. Knowledge is something learned, not skimmed.

I get it! Being able to discuss anything and everything can spark some great changes. Dialogue is a powerful tool. But doing so via a back-and-forth stalemate conversation online provides little more than rage and frustration. Think about it: how many times have you walked away from a Facebook discussion saying, “Wow – my views have been altered incredibly!”

Well, I suppose that’s it. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who disagree with me. And to you, I plead with you to talk to me. Talk to me in person. Because I prefer my constructive criticisms with a side of personality.

Consider this egg: boiled.