Stop live-tweeting people's private conversations

Tweeting the conversations of complete strangers has become a tool by which to shame people and regulate their behavior when we disagree with them. Elan’s actions were amusing, but his goal was to teach Diane a lesson via public shaming. In his final note he told her: “I am TheYearOfElan. Look me up online. Read every tweet. Read every response. And maybe next time you’ll be nice to people who are just trying to help.” Perhaps Diane was in the wrong. But what Elan really means in his final note is: look at how I just shamed you on the internet. Look at how all my Twitter followers mocked you. Now, change your behavior or else.

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Whether Diane was in the wrong or not, that’s creepy.

Someone’s argument with a flight attendant, their breakup with their partner, or their phone conversation with their mom — it may be amusing to you as you overhear it, but that doesn’t make it fair game for the entire internet to stick their noses in the private affairs of a poor unsuspecting random individual. When did we decide that an average, unsuspecting person deserves to have their private life exposed on the internet? Why does anyone deserve that fate? Do we not have a right to have conversations with our families, friends, and colleagues without strangers meddling, judging, taking sides, and mocking?

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