Let’s see more digital decency this year

As we all know and appreciate, technology plays an important tole in making our personal and business lives function more efficiently. We have become used to being digitally connected 24/7, ready to react, respond and comment to the never-ending barrage of messages, news, enquiries, and the sheer weight of visual content that is streamed to our consciousness each day. Being permanently connected, always-on, and exposed to an audience that might be interested in what we have to say, brings with it great responsibility. Acknowledging how the world has changed over the past year due to the pandemic, it has never been more important to make our digital connections count, but also to make those connections kinder, more decent. Just because we have an opinion about another person’s way of doing business, or the quality of their products and services, or the way we feel about their brand, doesn’t mean we should broadcast our thoughts to the world. So much of what is shared online to shame founders and their businesses could just as easily be solved with a direct note to share feedback. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes and think about how we would feel if our customers or stakeholders were using the power of digital media to constantly share their negative feedback instead of talking to us directly and giving us the opportunity to address those criticisms in person. The anonymity of the digital world makes it all too easy to criticize with impunity. So let’s take the time to remember that behind every business and brand are passionate entrepreneurs, trying to make a living, and let’s see a little more digital decency this year.