The recent X Factor furore was a classic example where the many, sheltering behind the anonymity granted by the world wide web, attacked the protagonists with all the fervour of bullies while condemning the bullying.
The net has become a place where threats are made on a daily basis over minor differences of opinion.
Death threats are cast about like confetti for the most inane of reasons - "Don't like the way you said/did/ looked /asked/so will kill/burn your house down/ smash you head in".
People are getting these things all the time, usually because someone doesn't agree with them.
Once, you had to actually talk to someone in order to have a decent disagreement but now it's all done within a twinkle of fingers on the keyboard.
The line "And she hates you and your friends" a la Tom Waits at least has context (The Piano Has Been Drinking) but just writing "I hate you and wish you were dead" is plain lazy.
It short circuits any need to present a coherent argument and is completely lacking in finesse or original thinking - what happened to the well-judged riposte?
On the other hand, the internet offers powers of diversion on a grand scale that cannot be found in any other medium.
Being able to stop working on something and check out videos of cats doing very cute things is a great way to avoid doing the things that need to be done.
Like Alice down the rabbit hole, one thing leads to another. You find your way to the pictures of sea otters holding hands while floating on their backs, then clips of pandas rolling in the snow and a whole hour has vanished under a furry blanket of cute.
These images are soothing and fun. They are completely harmless in themselves, providing distraction from the harsh realities of life, but there is a risk that they can anaesthetise us, making us passive when action is what is required.
The manoeuvring of corporates and politicians goes on around us and what do we do about it - we're just watching cats on video.
-Terry Sarten is a writer, musician, social worker and satirista - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz
