You feel all the feels when you’re scrolling the web because emotions affect everything you engage with online. Have you had the displeasure of clicking on the comments section recently??? People are fired up in there. Humans are very emotional animals and it shows online. A lot.
Understanding how your emotions affect your online behavior, and how people use those emotions to influence you, is an important step in becoming a more well-informed digital citizen.
Why do content creators play to our emotions?
Content creators know that if you feel something powerful, be it anger or excitement or sadness…etc, you are more likely to engage with that content. You might share it, comment on it, or like it. This interaction is the currency of the internet and many content creators will do anything to get your attention.
All too often we see salacious headlines or graphic images/videos that are attached to information that doesn’t match the intensity of the content they lead. We just see the headline on social, feel a strong emotion, make up our mind, and move on. That’s not good enough and we know it.
We all need to do better to create a better digital world and understanding our emotions, without just reacting to them, is a great skill to nurture.
For more information on how Emotions affect learning and our behavior, check out this great EduTopia article.
How can patience help?
Patience can be an incredibly effective tool in your digital literacy toolbox.
When there is breaking news and everyone is speculating do you dive right in? If someone says something you don’t like to you start screaming at them IN ALL CAPS!!! Patience can help you wait until all the facts are out before you form your opinion. Patience can help you get past your initial frustration with someone online and communicate with them more effectively or find someone more worthy of your time to debate the subject at hand.
Better yet patience can be calming, give you time to build empathy and understanding, and help you put things in perspective. Often things that seem emotionally overpowering in the moment become much less impactful when you’re given some time to think them through.
How do we better understand our emotions to be better digital citizens?
You always need to be aware of how you feel when you read or see something online. Pause and reflect. Once you understand how you’re feeling, think about why. Ask yourself these questions or explore them with your family.
-Does the content of this article or discussion, match the intensity of the headline or image/video that grabbed my attention?
-Do I understand the argument from the other side of this issue? I don’t need to agree with it, but do I understand it.
-Can this article or video be found with many different headlines or images attached to it? If so, why?
-What do I gain from engaging with people online when I or they are upset? Is there a better way to communicate or get my point across?
This is a great exercise for educators and families when a powerful current event is impacting your kids.
Shout out to Kermode
Understanding our emotions and how they affect you as a digital citizen is a crucial part of being smarter, safer, and kinder online. Kermode helps users explore emotional tone, patience, and over 20 other digital literacy topics. Combined with its cutting-edge software that helps users evaluate online content, Kermode is the most comprehensive digital literacy platform available today. Contact their friendly team for more information: info@kermodeeducation.com.
