The Conversation

Back in June, I began a prolonged hiatus from Twitter. To be honest, it wasn't a complete withdrawal, I did check my feed from time to time, but for all intents and purposes I was out of the conversation. While taking a step back from social media can hardly be considered a profoundly meaningful exercise, I do feel the experience was beneficial.

The break was prompted by an elevation in the level of vitriol and personal attacks in the Twitter community. I had also grown weary of the multitude of opinions disguised as fact, based on assumptions, speculation and selective information, sometimes from established members of the media. It seems that spewing invective and expounding wild-eyed theories has become the new normal of our public discourse.

Twitter can be a virtually limitless source of interesting and amusing content, but for me, Habs' Twitter was my favourite online community. Engaging with a wide range of fans and media who share a common interest was informative and entertaining. Over the course of the past year however, the passions of this community had boiled over into a divisive stream of consciousness marked by vitriolic personal attacks at users, Habs players and management. It was as if spewing invective and expounding wild-eyed theories had become the new normal of public discourse. There were those who chose a more reasoned and thoughtful perspective, but sadly those voices were often drowned out by a cacophony of rhetoric.

Twitter's inherent flaw is that thoughtful analysis can rarely be summed up in 140 characters or less, but brash outbursts of anger, ignorance and spite fit nicely, with room to spare. As with similar social media channels, Twitter can represent the best and worst elements of society, but when the latter spills over into the realm of fandom it devalues the experience for everyone.

The time away from Twitter allowed me to reflect on the value of relationships formed through social media. Are those interactions really any different than those we experience face-to-face? All social engagements, regardless of the forum, should be founded on the principal of mutual respect and understanding if they are to have any value at all. In a constructive conversation, people can differ in opinion and maintain civility. Healthy communication goes far beyond sharing ideas with like-minded individuals, it also requires an openness to explore alternative viewpoints that serve to expand knowledge and understanding.

I have considered that stepping out of the conversation means one fewer voice to counter a sea of negativity and derision. I do wonder if the forum itself is simply a magnet for voices of bluster and scorn, but perhaps that is only true if we allow it to be so.

So, with a modicum of trepidation, I wade back into the fray, though I do so with a proviso. I choose not to engage with those who resort to demeaning personal attacks or those who distort facts to further a narrow viewpoint. Such things undermine healthy conversations and do not belong in any social forum. There will be moments to celebrate and lament, with an assortment of diverse opinions and perspectives, but the best part of the Habs' Twitter community will always be the relationships grown from connecting to fans of one of the greatest franchises in hockey.

Go Habs, Go.