In today's society, there is a term to describe those who quickly take offence. The 'snowflake generation' is used to describe people comparable to a delicate and unique snowflake. This term has sparked some debate over the years as people are beginning to question if 'offence' is taken or given.
A short answer sadly does not exist as finding something offensive is entirely personal. For instance, one thing that offends Tom might not offend his friends Dick and Harry. Those who are highly susceptible to offence and those who are overly sensitive are referred to as 'The Snowflake Generation.' This phrase existed for a long time; in the 1860s, it was used to refer to someone who was opposed to the abolition of slavery. So how can we begin to answer the question about 'offence' being taken or given?
The first way to look at things is through the perspective of mental health so that we can deduce whether the feeling of being consistently offended has to do with a deteriorating state of one's mental health. It seems that nowadays, social media has an increasingly negative impact on people's mindset and vulnerabilities.
Richard Benjamin, a student counsellor at the City of Glasgow College, said: "If someone develops a healthy sense of themselves, then they're less likely distressed by something that they come across on social media. The more we nurture a healthy mind, the less likely they are to be affected negatively."
The Royal Society for Public Health surveyed 1,479 young people in the UK aged 14-24 to discuss the negative aspects of various social media platforms. Participants answered about self-identity, depression, loneliness and anxiety, amongst other issues surrounding mental health. They found Instagram to be the most negatively viewed platform. They also discovered that rates of anxiety and depression in young people have increased by 70% over the last 25 years due to the use of social media. These statistics show that the adverse effects of social media are negatively affecting the youth more than ever before.
So, what does this have to do with being prone to giving or taking offence easier? Well, nowadays, there is a lesser need for social contact to develop interpersonal skills, which means that those who have a fragile sense of themselves can be easily manipulated online.
A poll from YouGov found that two out of three 18-24-year-olds agreed with the statement "Too many people are easily offended these days over the language that others use." Those who struggle to take criticisms and negativity will ultimately struggle more if they see an unfavourable comment and feel the need to be personally offended by that. It's difficult to tell, however, who is taking offence and who is offending. Maybe this issue is not that people are taking offence persistently, but that people are finding it too easy to give out that offence, due to increased use of social media.
Mr Benjamin said: "I'm sure every human being on the planet has expressed attitudes and views at some point, which may be quite insensitive or unpalatable to others. That's human and is natural. But I think the response to these things can be more damaging than the actual thing that's being targeted."
Mr Benjamin mentions that views expressed may be unpalatable to others, such as racist, homophobic comments or other attitudes of the sort. These views and opinions are examples of offending, meaning that the person who made the negative statement was to blame and not the person which it was aimed. It's easier than ever now to hide behind a screen and make unfavourable comments, as anonymity is easily protected online.
Mr Benjamin said: "Offence being given or taken? I think it's neither one nor the other, it's about both. So, I think it's the way that we react to something at any given moment. It's not about choosing whether to be offended, but instead about choosing how to digest what's just been said." So maybe a change of attitude is what's needed. Instead of choosing to be harmful or choosing to take a thing negatively, use people's words as a chance to educate them on their wrongdoing.
It seems that offensiveness is dependent on the situation and those involved. Not only is offence about the comment being made, but it is also about the reaction, and how justified that response is. It can be seen as a chance to educate the person on their views, opinions and the language used, instead of an excuse to lash out at someone and not appropriately hold them accountable. As this generation faces new, social pressure in the form of social media, it is becoming ever more challenging to lead a healthy-minded life. It's just too easy to give and take nowadays, especially when it comes to being offensive.
Mia-lauren
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