Week 7

Looking at the commandments of netiquette, it is easy to assume that all these rules are similar to the ones in real life. That is because people were inexperienced in a social network at the beginning of its era, and didn’t know how to interact with each other without both verbal and nonverbal language, using only text and sometimes emojis. However, in my opinion, now interactions on the Internet are quite a natural thing for everyone, and these commandments seem pretty obvious. But I would like to observe the second commandment: “Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life”. In two words, “Be yourself”.

This rule surely applies to both the virtual environment and real life, but when it is in-between, it may lead to some harsh conflicts. During the pandemic, people started looking for friends or dates on social networks, and many seemed to neglect this rule to seem the better version of themselves. I can recall a few situations when people I know met their online friends in real life after long interaction on the Internet, and both were disappointed a lot. 

My close friend was looking for a pal to discuss some of my interests, and to share our experiences with each other. It didn’t take long, and soon he contacted Vova on Instagram. He talked a lot and even met a few times in the city to drink some beer. Then, he offered him to come with him and his friends to Finland for a week. They booked an Airbnb and set off. 

Even though he thought he knew him well after keeping in touch on the Internet and even meeting in real life, it was impossible for him to keep being nice for so long. They were sharing a flat, and it started when thier tap broke. Vova decided to take responsibility for that problem, but soon my friend heard yelling from the kitchen. It appeared he was trying to describe a problem to an operator of a plumbing company, and the operator seemed to not understand. Then, Vova started yelling at her for not doing her job. When Vova finally hung up, he decided to discuss this with him. He was furious and was trying to convince my friend that the woman there had to be fired for not serving him right. When he tried to tell him he just scared her, he went to his room, slamming the door.

It wasn’t the only case. During that week, he kept discovering how aggressive and egoistic he was. In the end, he refused to talk to him and denied everything he said. He couldn’t even imagine that such a person could hide behind the mask of a nice man. he remember, before that trip, he complained to me about his loneliness and that people refused him all the time. I even sometimes feel sorry about him, as he will not soon understand why it keeps happening to him, because of his self-centeredness.

In my opinion, among the ten commandments, the second one is the most important. Some people cannot be themselves because of their low esteem, some don’t do that on purpose, and some try themselves in different masks, putting different personalities on. But in most cases, the truth comes out, ending friendships and relationships.