I wanted to write this before all the elections, but it got very interesting to see the sheer amount of hate being played out on all forms of social media. For those who don’t know, ‘hating’ is what you do on social media when you try to pick apart a person’s actions/past/choices. A ‘hater’ is what you become when you turn to social media with your own view/opinion/criticism of a person or group.
It has become such a powerful tool that I have seen people actually pay “groups” to ‘hate’ them. Why? Any exposure you can get in on any social media forum is free exposure.
I am guilty of being a ‘hater,’ but I am wise enough to let the haters spread my thoughts for me as well, sometimes I even like to encourage it. This technique is used very well (though not smartly) by U.S. President Donald Trump. A prime example of a leader who had it under control was former president Barack Obama. He knew how to plant that ‘hate’ seed on social media and let social media run with it like a wildfire.
The biggest thing to remember with the ‘hating’ is the popularity you bring to the person you are trying to ‘hate.’ When you write/say/announce something about a particular person, you pick them from the crowd of anonymity and put them on the pedestal for all the world to see. If you are trying to oppose someone truly, the best thing you can do on social media is to not mention them at all. Let them fade silently into obscurity.
Here are a few things I keep in mind: Haters are going to hate, they are your biggest unwanted fans and bring you the biggest amount of exposure — make sure to stoke the fire once and a while. And, if they can’t fight you with facts, they will try to slaughter you with slander. If the latter comes, you’ve already won.
-Jason Bechard, Squamish
