Facebook's Online Rudeness Ruins Offline Relationships

A survey reports that more people are finding rudeness on Facebook and other social media on the rise.

A survey of 2,698 people in February found that 78 percent reported rudeness on the upswing, according to corporate training firm VitalSmarts, and as many as 40 percent ending contact with people because of a "virtual altercation," according to Reuters.

Many of those surveyed believed that people are much ruder online than in real life, but that didn't stop about 20 percent of the respondents from stopping face-to-face contact with someone who treated them badly online.

"The world has changed and a significant proportion of relationships happen online but manners haven't caught up with technology," VitalSmarts co-chairman Joseph Grenny told Reuters. "Why would you name call online but never to that person's face?"
 
Unfortunately many of these issues occur because emotions are high, Grenny said. Instead, users should avoid monologues, replace judgmental words and cut personal attacks -- especially when emotional. Instead, people should take a break from online, or maybe settle disagreements face-to-face, which seems to make rudeness more difficult.
 
We agree we all need breaks from electronic devices, but we applaud the idea that it now makes us more civil.
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