Open Letter To People Who Post On Class Facebook Pages…

To all my classmates who post frequently on Facebook,

I see a lot of posts on Dacebook, and the majority of them have little to no impact on my life.The same is usually true of the posts I see on the Sewanee University Class of 2018 Facebook page, but recently I’ve noticed a troubling trend. The negativity we spit at each other online is becoming very distressing to me.  Facebook is a powerful is a powerful communication device, and one that is very easy to misuse.  

Every sunday there are a rash of posts about things that were lost in the chaos of the previous nights. One person will post about leaving a wallet at some fraternity house, and there’s usually some joking comment about having left one’s dignity in the same place, then, not long after someone will post something passive-aggressive about how the page is not a lost and found. The second post is the one that bothers me.  

While I agree that the group is technically not intended to function as a lost and found, it’s also not a place for us to judge one another, and that’s what it sounds like they’re doing.  Everyone makes mistakes, especially us freshman who aren’t yet used to college life.  All freshman lose things at some point.  They go to a party and a wallet, phone, or id card falls out of their pocket and they spend the next day freaking out about not having it. No one should cast judgement on anyone else because of this, because one day, it might be you desperately posting on facebook praying someone has found whatever it is you lost.  

I would be lying if I said that the “has anyone seen my….” posts have never bothered me, but I understand that Facebook is an excellent way to track down someone if they picked up one of your belongings.  The fact is, that I do my best to leave a positive imprint on what I do.  They say the internet never forgets, so I don’t want it to be branded with negativity.  If you don’t like something someone posts; scroll past it, it won’t bother you again, I promise.  

I’d like to challenge everyone with a facebook to join me on a crusade for positivity (which sounds like a club they ask you to join the first week of freshman year) to prevent negative posts on Facebook and promote positive posts.  Things like Sewanee Compliments help spread positivity, while other aspects of facebook seem to be constantly focused on the negative.  So people, be positive on Facebook, if nothing else, your ex will see it and think you’re doing better than him.

Yours,