Al: Your Video is Gay

My favorite pastime is reading the comment section of You Tube videos— mostly because it is an example of ethics gone awry. There is some definite garbage uploaded to cyberspace, fair enough. However, the anonymity of the internet, presents a problem to moral growth.

Personal reward orientation is a factor in deciding if things are ok or not. Amongst primary-school classmates, one might begin to understand that social intelligence begets amity. Those who fail to realize the value of camaraderie, eventually fall into line via punishment and then obedience (hopefully).

At a certain point, the aggregate of our experiences is what solidifies our persona. Typically, we covet what we see (Thanks, Bible and Hannibal Lecter). If Johnny sees someone who has a nice hat, he will want to assimilate the hat into his fashion repertoire. The same goes for our moral compass. Our surroundings have many moral hats. For example, good boy vs. bad boy or law abiding vs. not law abiding— whatever the choice— there are consequences.

Interestingly enough, there is science that shows differences between male and female moral development. Males value independence (there is an evolutionary explanation, but it is lengthy and I prefer not to bore you), autonomy, and conceptions of fairness. Females value communication (talking, not necessarily coherence), reciprocity, and see conflict as an unnecessary breakdown of communication. There is a critique of this assessment (See Carol Gilligan).

Conflicts create great learning experiences (despite what the female brain “feels”). Amongst the living, disagreements are usually settled. When it comes to the World Wide Web there is no resolution. This is because the internet provides us with a secret identity; one can take vile positions without justification. Little Johnny can criticize videos as queer, gay, stupid or retarded. Sadly, such cowardice goes unchecked, since the forum is detached from what is real.

Is there a solution to this predicament? No. One cannot be engaged through a comment section, as it takes willing participation. As a society we are inundated with announcements that advise against illegally downloading music, movies and games. In certain states, there are cyber bullying laws. Evidently, there is no PSA concerning how we react to what we dislike. In fact, empty statements are encouraged. As a result, we are a global community of beasts.

Below you will find a video of consequences personified through Charlie and his brother.

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