orangerful | book thoughts: so you've been publicly shamed

I usually save my book posts for after I've finished the book but I have GOT to talk about this book right now. Mostly to say YOU GUYS HAVE TO READ THIS. Even if you don't end up agree with Jon Ronson's conclusions (which I don't even know what they will be right now as I'm only halfway through) it will make you think twice before tweeting anything about anyone, especially someone you don't actually know well. Or even just clicking on an article that is shaming someone.

The thing that really grabbed me was his initial research into public shaming as an official punishment. It was outlawed in the late 1700s (except for in Delaware, who apparently didn't take it off the books until the 1960s??). Why was it stopped? Because the onlookers were too INTO IT. People wanted to see others suffer, they joined in, they demanded MORE punishments, harsher treatment.

And somehow it has creeped back into our society via social media. And it may be more brutal because of the anonymity people feel they have online, the detachment from the people that are actually being hurt.

I dunno, after all the social media storm around Baltimore, with people posting photos and videos and misrepresenting some things...this book hit harder than I was expecting. Ronson's style is VERY readable, he has a snarky tone, but he doesn't let himself off the hook. He includes himself, using a royal "we", when it comes to talking about the problem. He's not talking about trolls, people who make a living about attacking others online, but just how every day normal people, like you and I, can get sucked into these attacks...and when we do it we think we are doing something good, that we are part of some social justice movement but in many cases it's a case of he tweets/she tweets and everyone loses.

Gah, I haven't read a book this quickly in a long time. I'm halfway through it and I have a hard time putting it down but I really want to recommend it.