But, it's not anything new actually. We have merely revamped mechanisms like 'Letters to the editor' and other 'old-school' techniques of commentating, criticising and judging.
All this with little to no reprimand or even responsibility for what we have said.
Now, I'm taking a while to get to my point, but here it is in a nutshell … kindness.
"He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai."
We've all heard that right? When we sow aroha in the world, then aroha is what will grow.
We reap what we will sow.
I've been mean to people before. I know how to do that, most of us do.
I also know how it feels to have someone be mean to me and when you know how that feels, I reckon it changes the way you wield that little bit of power.
Because, ya know, words have power.
On one hand we can be kind. On the other hand, we can be mean. So why do we have so many of us choose the latter?
What does kindness cost? Gary Vee reckons "There's no f***** logical reason to not be nice to each other, ever".
How do we even define kindness? Three words come up regularly on this point. Friendly, generous and considerate.
The latter is probably my 'go-to' when I think about kindness.
Consider how what I have to say can make someone else feel.
I'm sure there are extenuating circumstances when you could be forgiven for not being kind. But I haven't met them so far, touch wood.
It costs us nothing to be kind right?
And if we know how it makes us feel to have someone be mean to us then, in my mind, let's be kind, like, all the time.
I've been practising over recent years to understand that I don't always have to pass judgement, make comments or respond to things to get my point across.
Sometimes kindness is best expressed by saying nothing.
If you have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
It's easier said than done. So many times I've felt obliged to put someone right or defend someone's honour.
Sometimes I've felt so incensed by what someone is saying that I've taken it upon myself to educate them.
I really get into it too!
I make faces while I'm typing, I relive the moment when I talk to others about it and it consumes me in ways that are just not kind to myself or others around me.
Nelson Mandela, pictured here in 1997 with Philippine President Fidel Ramos, said "resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies". Photo / AP
Nelson Mandela said something like, "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies".
But, it's always how I've felt while being engulfed with my own feelings.
Because of some random thing I read on a rectangular block of metal and glass written by a person I don't know, likely in a place, I've never been to - that's the poison.
Now if writing my own ponderings can poison me, how does that make the recipient feel?
Is it poison for them? Do they now go on the defensive, engaging combat mode?
Using a bunch of regurgitated thoughts and quotes from a person who is clever with words and has commented on the subject before?
I'm thinking out loud now and blabbering away, but my point is this.
He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai.
Let me sow aroha into the world so that we can continue to grow and harvest more aroha.
Because nothing bad ever came from growing aroha. Nothing bad ever came from sharing kindness.
Whether it's in person or over the interwebs, I'm practising how I can be more mindful with my words so that I am kinder and more considerate to others.
I'm no saint and I haven't always practised being kind. But I know this.
If we can sow aroha, show aroha and grow aroha, we can in the words of Michael Jackson, '... make a better place for you and for me'.
That's possibly the cheesiest thing I've ever written, but I'll own it.
