New version
Hatred… That is what Western Europe has witnessed on a massive scale in recent days. The finger-pointing begins as people search for someone to blame, but this is the most troubling aspect of it all.
Rather than growing closer, humanity seems to be drifting further apart with each passing day. What’s even more disheartening is that we are not progressing towards a better future; instead, our actions are pushing us away from it. This divide extends beyond our daily lives and seeps into our online interactions, where it is most apparent.
If you are an active Twitter user, you are probably familiar with the verified badge. Personally, I have a strong dislike for the verified status, which is why I was pleased when Twitter finally allowed users to apply for it. Unlike other social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Vkontakte, the verified badge on Twitter has caused division for a long time, and this division still persists. On Twitter, this single symbol influences people’s decision to follow or unfollow others, leading those who possess the badge to isolate themselves from others. This contradicts the essence of a social media platform, which is supposed to encourage social interaction. The verified badge has strayed from its original purpose of identifying genuine accounts of important or well-known individuals.
And that is just one example, without any explicit expressions of hatred. Trolling represents a form of cyberbullying that demonstrates the problem with hatred. It has evolved from mere offensive behavior to genuine animosity and has become a tactic employed by bullies. Trolls now engage in carefully planned personal attacks, making them nothing more than online bullies.
The underlying issue causing this division is our inability to freely express ourselves. I often find myself hesitant to share my thoughts due to the potential negative reactions they may provoke. Every statement inevitably attracts some form of reply, and the fear of these responses can be paralyzing. For instance, take a look at this tweet of mine: [Tweet no longer available]. The truth behind the message is irrelevant; what matters is that it could hurt people. At the same time, not sharing this truth can also be hurtful. We have become a society primarily concerned with self-care, leaving the few who genuinely care for others marginalized within our current societal norms. Even charitable organizations, which should prioritize compassion and benevolence, often prioritize money and the well-being of their higher-ups. It is no wonder that I choose to remain reserved about certain matters.
Even at the highest levels of society, such as the United Nations, I am left unimpressed. As someone who does not believe in alliances like NATO, the United Nations represents the pinnacle of society to me. Yet, their public image primarily portrays the elderly. While the elderly are often associated with wisdom, I doubt this is the intended image the United Nations aims to project. Ageism, discrimination based on age, should be countered by the United Nations, but their “voices of youth” platform seems more focused on giving young people a chance to speak up.
Personally, I am critical of the “voices of youth” initiative by the United Nations. Youth is not synonymous with young adults. In my understanding, children range from.
Old version (We Forget To Notice)
Hatred…
That is what Western Europe has seen these past days in quite massive proportions.
It is not weird that people will point fingers to who possibly are to blame, however, it is also the most problematic part of it all.
Humanity is not growing closer, instead, we are moving farther apart, every single day.
The sad part is that every single day that passes, we are also not moving towards a better future, but just like we act to each other, we are moving away from it.
It is however not just our normal lives this applies to, but also our internet lives, it is probably also here where you see it in the clearest way.
If you are using Twitter actively, you will know the verified sign, probably far too well.
At this discussion, I am a hater of the verified status, exactly why I was happy when Twitter finally made applying for it possible.
Unlike at YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vkontakte and all other social media platforms, this sign is not good at Twitter.
In fact, at Twitter, this mark caused segregation for a long time, and it is still on-going.
At Twitter this single mark causes people to follow or not follow others, but more so, it causes those who have it to not follow others anymore…
Yes, while Twitter is a social media platform, which obviously is all about social interaction, this single sign at a profile crushes the social part.
It has moved away from the purpose of showing which is the real account of important/well-known people…
And that is just the example without any form of hate…
Trolling is the actual form that shows the problem with hate.
It once was just offensive, but not actual hatred, instead, it has moved to hatred nowadays and is a form of cyberbullying.
This actually shows how we moved in a state of hatred worldwide, as the internet is basically an international hub, the place to interact with others over the whole world.
Trolling has always been known to be for the pleasure of our own, which would say that trolling is cyber bullying with the addition of pleasure of our own, not something I would like to do.
Trolls are using careful planned personal attacks nowadays, which makes trolls nothing more than bullies…
The thing that causes it is something else, it is the fact that we can not say what we want.
I often enough get scared of the replies anything could cause, as everything will eventually get some reply…
Like for example with this tweet by me:
[Tweet no longer available.]
The thing is, this is the truth, but that it is the truth, that is not important, as it could hurt people…
Yet, at the same time, not sharing this sort of truth, that is also hurtful at the same time…
We have moved to a society that is about 1 thing, caring for ourselves…
The rather few that remain to be caring for others are often the ones who are most oppressed by the current ways of society.
Just looking at how many charities are not even about being compassionate and charitable, but instead about money, money for their high-placed people.
Yet, those who are caring for others are at the same time ignored by those companies and organisations that should see them as importance.
That is one of my own reasons to not be very open about some things, as why should I be?
This even goes to the highest parts of society.
Take a look at the United Nations for example, when I look at it, I am all but impressed…
They are to me the highest parts of society possible, especially as I am not a believer in alliances like NATO and such.
What is their public face? Elderly…
Yes, when I think of the United Nations, I think of Elderly, and that does not have to be bad, but I very much doubt this is what they are trying to set as their image.
Elderly are often seen as sources of wisdom, so that is not bad, but I do not think they want to be active on the subject of “ageism”.
Ageism is discrimination by age, the United Nations seems to counter it with their “voices of youth” platform as a way for “youth” to speak up…
I am negative to the whole “voices of youth” initiative of the United Nations.
First of all Youth is not the same as Young Adults, to me children are those from about 3 to 12 years old, youth those of 13 to about 20 years old, young adults from about 20 to somewhere in the 30 years old.
When you look at the meaning of all those words, that is exactly the way it works, however, young adults would count to 39 or 40 years old according to that.
Yet, instead, people choose to combine youth with a major part of young adults, and the other part of young adults with adults…
This is exactly what the United Nations does at their platform, which makes me just ignore their website…
But apart from that, they are not even internationally active with that website, there are 0 “voices” of Southern America, Northern America, Southern Africa and Oceania…
The thing is, their platform is not interesting to any “regular” young person…
And what are the actual other things we as young persons around the world play a role at the United Nations?
Well, their campaigns, but I dislike that myself, as we are not seen as equals, we are seen as voices and faces that can be used for their benefit, nothing more…
It is actually why recent email contact with someone of the United Nations has me a bit… confused… (Probably not the right word, sometimes I wish my English was better..)
She contacted through the contact form here at my blog, and basically, in short, stated she cared for my opinion.
It is kind of amazing to me that someone of the United Nations actually reads my blog, but that beats the point right now.
The thing is, people like her are the ones who truly care, and yet are not getting the results because of other parts of their organisation.
Their acts and passions are overshadowed by once again the select very very few at the top of the United Nations…
When I think of the United Nations, obviously I think of “Ban Ki-moon” and “Irina Bokova”, but after that, it already gets harder for me to name names of the United Nations.
In all honesty, if I would be able to get to 10 names, that would be impressive to me…
10 names on 44 thousand people, that I would call rather disturbing myself, yet it shows exactly what I am trying to say here.
The United Nations are less memorable than they should and even could be…
They are fully political in every single way, and that is what makes them ineffective and also non-memorable.
Just their charitable part UNICEF could reach far more if they would listen more to young persons…
The thing with UNICEF is that they are hardly the charity you would or even should donate to, this all bases on them voicing things the wrong way…
Just recently UNICEF released the above video.
That is what is called a social experiment.
I was affected by it, there is no denying, the reason was the end, where the girl gets upset, not the actual message of UNICEF.
The thing is, social experiments are not of current time anymore, they have been shared for years now, UNICEF is late in sharing this with me.
It, however, shows a gap in generations, as apparently the ones who shared it saw it as a good way to bring across the message.
Yet, I want to actually take it a step further, and call quite some of the acts of UNICEF themselves as hurtful to children.
Take a look at their videos against Child Marriage for example:
Seems correct? Not any form of wrong?
If you think so, you are incorrect.
This is actually inequality, discrimination by gender to be precise.
While most people somehow are only aware of discrimination by gender when it comes to girls, the same thing happens to boys.
About 18% of those married as a child, so below the age of 18, are boys. The source? The United Nations themselves, in actual fact, UNICEF themselves!
Though, it is not only UNICEF that does this kind of discrimination, as Plan International, the charity resolving around girls rights does it too, and in fact takes a bit further and promotes (unnoticed) inequality.
It is Feminism taken to the extreme, which actually promotes inequality in the advantage of females, that while feminists used to be about equality, not inequality.
Equality should be taken both ways, not just one, though, I do not understand why females are happy about their gender made to look weak by these sorts of videos in the first place…
To me, females are just as strong and capable as males, and yet, these videos are often made by females… it is confusing when I am honest about it…
It probably gets across the message that child marriages are bad, but at the same time, it is hurtful, as it basically causes inequality.
And in fact, as there happen child-and-child marriages, where children are married to other children, it makes me wonder why that is not used instead.
Sure, a girl getting married to an adult male will be noticed more, but you might want to wonder if that is just another problem about it, the fact it is seen as “normal” that it happens…
But let us move away from that subject, and take another example.
This video was previously actually already talked about by my half-sister at one of her blog articles.
This video has affected me in extreme ways.
The thing UNICEF and all charities should be aware of is that while they might have a target audience, this video will reach everyone.
This probably was focussed at adults, especially with the petition that was attached and everything.
Let me just say it reached me and the issues were clear.
War / conflict, gun violence, abuse, sexual abuse / rape, abandonment, effects of cold(Hypothermia) and starvation, that were the subjects I noticed myself.
Though it should also focus on natural disasters, the only clear parts were conflicts and wars to me.
There is one more word that was clear about this video, emotional abuse, it was clearly noticeable at this video…
UNICEF, however, forgot at that subject something, that if they want to say others to stop it, they should not do the same…
The thing is, I never fully recovered from my own trauma, and this video only caused memories to return.
Some memories are just best to not to be remembered, that is just a simple fact, even though those active at psychology most often do not really agree with that.
This has also been my personal spark to completely discontinue my support to UNICEF.
The thing is, I am not against the United Nations, but there are things where you need to think about, and UNICEF only shows that they forget about it.
All their videos will be seen by children too, and as they are actually in support of children and working with children, it should not be hard to adjust videos to be effective but not too impactful for children and young persons.
Is it that hard you might ask yourself? No, they could have just added a notice that the video should not be watched by children/young persons, or just a general trigger warning…
That will also bring us back to us growing apart.
When you look at just UNICEF, you could state they might think young persons would not support their acts, and therefore are not thinking about it.
Which shows they do not understand.
Obviously, most young persons will not support charities, but that something happens a way in general, does not mean it counts for everyone.
Myself, I have been supporting other children and young persons through donations for a few months now, through sponsorships, the way most will like to donate nowadays.
The thing is, it gives me the possibility to have an actual positive effect on others, while at the same time also increasing my social skills.
Yes, it is beneficial for both sides, as while it is through letters, you can be extremely effectual to the other’s life by just a single letter.
Though, to bring us back to the subject, that does mean knowing about those videos and watching them gets a bit more important.
The thing is, I want to donate to those who need it the most.
All in all, there are some major problems happening at the subject of charitable acts, most caused by the inability to actually understand another.
While some like to look at their neighbor for this, it is a far bigger problem that it happens higher up at the society.
Governmental organisations and just governments themselves should be aware what happens in their countries to be able to really lead their countries.
Yet, it seems we are far away from that happening, and therefore, far away from a good future for us all….
