To Post or Not to Post?

Nora says: At the store today, I saw a man yelling at the cashier. He even made her cry! I filmed it on my phone, but my sister told me not to post the video online. She says we should respect people’s privacy. I’m torn. Shouldn’t everyone know what a jerk this guy is? 

Nora says: At the store today, a man yelled at the cashier. He even made her cry! I filmed it on my phone, but my sister told me not to post the video online. She says we should respect people’s privacy. I’m torn. Shouldn’t everyone know what a jerk this guy is? 

Nora says: At the store today, I witnessed a man yelling at the cashier. He even made her cry! I filmed it on my phone, but my sister says I shouldn’t post the video online because it’s important to respect people’s privacy. Is she right, or should I show everyone what a jerk this guy is? 

Eli says: Post it!

    I’ve seen a lot of these kinds of videos online, and I believe you should add yours to the collection. I get what your sister is saying about privacy. But I think you give up your right to privacy when you act like a jerk in public.

    It’s obvious that this man thinks he can do whatever he wants. Maybe going viral will teach him that there are consequences to his actions. Seeing a video of himself acting rude might even inspire him to change.

    But there’s another reason to post the video online. People will respond by calling the man out for being mean. And I think that can help make everyone kinder in public. You’re less likely to scream at a worker when you’ve seen people get shamed for doing it. 

    So I say post away—you’re doing the world a big favor.

Eli says: Post it!

    I’ve seen a lot of videos like this online, and I think you should add yours. I get what your sister is saying about privacy. But I think you give up your right to privacy when you act like a jerk in public.

    This man clearly thinks he can do whatever he wants. Maybe going viral will teach him that his actions have consequences. Seeing his rudeness on video might even inspire him to change.

    And here’s another reason to post the video. People will call the man out for being mean. And I think that can help make everyone kinder in public. You’re less likely to scream at a worker when you’ve seen people get shamed for doing it.

    So I say post away. You’re doing the world a favor.

Eli says: Post it!

    I’ve seen many videos like this online, and I believe you should add yours to the collection. While I understand what your sister is saying about privacy, I think you give up your right to privacy when you behave like a jerk in public.

    This man obviously thinks he can do whatever he wants. Going viral might teach him that his actions have consequences, and seeing a video of himself acting rude might even inspire him to change.

    Another reason to post the video online is that people will respond by calling the man out for his meanness, and that can discourage other people from misbehaving in public. You’re less likely to scream at a worker when you’ve seen people get shamed for doing it.

    So I say post away—you’ll be doing a public service.

Cleo says: Keep it private!

    I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Yeah, it’s a little kindergarten—but I think it’s important! There’s no doubt that this guy’s behavior was awful. I just don’t think embarrassing him by posting the video is going to make anything better.

    First of all, you don’t know him. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he had just gotten some terrible news. On the other hand, maybe he is a scary person with an anger problem. Do you really want to make someone like that mad at you? 

    Plus, you can’t forget about the cashier and her feelings. I know you’re just trying to help. But what if she doesn’t want a video of herself crying all over the internet?

    Next time you see someone acting like a jerk in public, here’s what I think you should do. Put down your phone. Consider talking to them instead. Then you might actually make a difference.

Cleo says: Keep it private!

    I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Yeah, it’s a little kindergarten—but I think it’s important! There’s no doubt that this guy’s behavior was awful. I just don’t think embarrassing him by posting the video will help.

    First of all, you don’t know him. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he had just gotten terrible news. On the other hand, maybe he is a scary person with an anger problem. Do you want to make someone like that mad at you?

    And what about the cashier’s feelings? I know you’re just trying to help. But she might not want a video of herself crying all over the internet.

    Next time you see someone acting like a jerk in public, don’t film it. Consider talking to them instead. You might make a real difference.

Cleo says: Keep it private!

    I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Yeah, it’s a little kindergarten—but I think it’s important! Even though this guy’s behavior was horrible, I don’t think embarrassing him by posting the video is necessary or helpful.

    First of all, you don’t know him. It’s possible that he was having a bad day or had just received devastating news. On the other hand, maybe he’s a scary person with an anger-management problem. I don’t recommend making yourself a target for someone like that.

    Plus, you can’t forget about the cashier and her feelings. I realize your intentions are good, but what if she doesn’t want a video of herself crying all over the internet?

    Next time you find yourself in a situation like that, consider talking to the rude person instead of simply filming their bad behavior. By speaking up in the moment, you might
actually make a difference.