Before Commenting, Try Reading the Whole Story

Logical thinking tells us that everybody reads the actual article before posting a comment, right? Wrong! You would think so. However, every day I see people on social media who jump straight to the comment section and start sounding off, without even bothering to read the post.

How can you tell they didn’t read it?

These commenters stick out like a sore thumb. They are the ones that ask questions that were clearly answered within the post. They go off on tangents based upon only the perception of the title and picture. Many times their comments contain very poor grammar and invalid points that lack facts. Since these commenters don’t have a clear understanding of the subject, it is not uncommon that they become hostile right away.

Have we reached a low point in our communications that people have become too lazy to actually read the information provided before they form their opinions? Has this become socially acceptable? Do people think they already know everything so they don’t even need to bother reading the content? Here is a quote from a great friend of mine and fellow writer, Milos Djukic, from his post here on beBee. His quote really summarizes this alarming trend of not wanting to accept or even consider other people’s viewpoints:

The moment when we start to believe that we are influential is at the same time the final moment for our own rigorous review, reconsideration and implementation of all necessary corrections.

People are quick to judge an article.

I think it is time for a reading intervention! A call to action for greater levels of social engagement to produce higher levels of understanding and learning.

Some of you may remember the epic April Fools’ joke, National Public Radio (NPR), pulled on its followers on social media? They produced a phony article with attached picture and published it on their website. The “article” was titled, “Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore.” When clicking on the link to the article readers were greeted by this message:

Congratulations, genuine readers, and happy April Fools’ Day! We sometimes get the sense that some people are commenting on NPR stories that they haven’t actually read. If you are reading this, please like this post and do not comment on it. Then let’s see what people have to say about this “story.”

Sure enough, many people jumped straight to the comment section and were firing off. Many of whom were quick to defend their own reading habits. The irony was brilliant!

Here is one of the better comments that beautifully illustrates the point:

This article is horrible. Americans DO read, it’s disrespectful to intelligent americans to state as fact that america no longer reads. My daughter is second grade and her class is assigned at least one book a month to read. My wife is an avid reader and is even takes part in a weekly book club. As for myself, I read mainly ESPN and Sports Illustrated. America is a great and educated country, and one I am proud to live in.

This is a classic sound-off failure! Not only does the comment show a complete lack of understanding, it is very poorly written. I am not a copy editor. However, by a quick count, I found seven grammatical errors contained within a short post.

We should at least read the author’s post and point of view before giving an opinion.

Do you agree?

Originally published on Huff Post