A few years ago, “rant and rave” pages began appearing across social media. At first, they seemed to serve a useful purpose. People could share positive experiences, recognize exceptional service, celebrate local achievements, or raise concerns about issues affecting their communities. In many ways, they became a modern-day community bulletin board.
For a time, I followed several of these pages. Occasionally there would be a post highlighting a local success story, a volunteer effort, or an issue that deserved public attention. Those are the kinds of stories that community newspapers also want to know about because they help inform and strengthen the communities we serve.
Unfortunately, it did not take long for many of these pages to drift away from their original purpose.
What began as a forum for community discussion gradually became a stage for attention seekers, chronic complainers, and those determined to stir controversy. Constructive conversation gave way to public shaming and petty grievances. The focus shifted from solving problems to creating them.
One of the last examples I remember reading involved someone who witnessed a child drop a piece of litter – or perhaps simply drop an item by accident. Rather than speaking directly to the parent, who may not even have noticed, the individual rushed home to post about it online. There was another option, of course. They could have politely informed the parent or simply picked up the item themselves and moved on with their day.
Instead, the incident became social media content.
This is not a new phenomenon. As long as there have been newspapers, there have been people eager to air their grievances, point fingers, or criticize others. The difference is that traditional media has always required a measure of accountability.
For generations, newspapers have published letters to the editor, but those letters came with names attached. There were very few exceptions. The only circumstance I can readily recall involved protecting genuine victims who deserved privacy and protection. Otherwise, if someone wanted to make an accusation or express an opinion publicly, they were expected to stand behind their words.
That accountability matters.
Too often, social media allows individuals to criticize others from behind a screen, sometimes anonymously and often without context. The result is a culture where outrage is rewarded, facts are secondary, and the loudest voices receive the most attention. The goal is not always to improve a situation but to attract reactions, likes, comments, and shares.
Over the years, I have learned that engaging with these individuals rarely produces anything positive. Those who thrive on disruption are often seeking exactly what their posts generate: attention, arguments, and opportunities to dominate the conversation. Reasoned discussion seldom changes their minds because the conflict itself is the objective.
The most effective response is often the simplest one.
In everyday life, if someone is determined to provoke an argument, walk away. Online, the principle is much the same. Do not engage. Every comment, reply, and reaction feeds the cycle and rewards the behaviour. Without an audience, much of the drama quickly loses its appeal.
Communities are strengthened by respectful dialogue, personal accountability, and direct communication. They are weakened when every minor annoyance becomes a public spectacle.
Perhaps it is time we spent less energy ranting and more effort building the kind of communities we actually want to live in.