I’ve been sharing my thoughts online since the days when dial-up was king. After all this time, one would think I’d be accustomed to the quirks of this digital career, yet certain human behaviors continue to astonish me.
At the top of the list? Commenting on articles without actually taking the time to read them first.
Honestly, folks, shouldn’t this be common sense? It’s incredibly easy to react to a headline and jump right into a comment. But please, for the sake of all that is good and right, try to resist that impulse.
Not too long ago, I penned a piece titled, “What’s Challenging About Covering Up to Breastfeed?” A wave of upset breastfeeding advocates unleashed their outrage in the comments on social media before they were quickly corrected by others who pointed out that the article was actually a thoughtful defense of breastfeeding in public.
I’m generally not a fan of public shaming. However, if you decide to form an opinion on an article without reading it, and then choose to express that opinion in the comments section—still without reading the content—you bring that embarrassment upon yourself.
As writers, we invest significant time, energy, and thought into creating the content you see. We often spend hours on research, deliberate over every word, and keep you—the reader—in mind throughout the process. The very least you can do is read what we’ve written before sharing your thoughts.
If you still dislike what we’ve written after actually reading it? Go ahead and voice your disagreement. Most writers appreciate intelligent discussion and differing viewpoints. I personally value constructive debate and welcome diverse perspectives, as long as it’s done respectfully. Many of us do read comments on our articles, knowing that disagreement is inevitable.
However, it’s a huge disservice to comment on something without understanding it fully. I had a reader once who began her comment with, “I haven’t read the article, but…” followed by several paragraphs disagreeing with my response to another commenter. Much of her argument had already been addressed in the article, something she would have known if she had bothered to read it.
I confess, I got a bit frustrated and replied with, “I haven’t read your comment, but here’s why it’s wrong…” I try to avoid being snarky, but sometimes people make it difficult.
If commenting without reading is bad, sharing without reading is even worse. Recently, a certain government office shared an article about a budget proposal in its newsletter, clearly without reading it. The piece, written by Alex Morgan, had a title that seemed to support the proposal but was, in fact, a sarcastic critique.
The excerpt referring to labor gives you a taste of the satire: “There will be no LABOR in the future. All fetuses will burst out of wombs brandishing an Uzi on each arm.” It’s hard to imagine anyone reading that and believing it was an endorsement of the budget. Clearly, someone glanced at the title, jumped to conclusions, and included it in their newsletter.
So, for the love of all that is good, please stop commenting, sharing, or forming opinions on online articles without first clicking the link and reading the entire content. And don’t forget to check any supporting links as well, especially if you’re going to challenge the claims made in the article.
While we’re at it, let’s stop saying, “Do your own research,” when stating an alleged fact in a comment without backing it up. And a friendly reminder: let’s all strive to differentiate between their/they’re/there and you’re/your.
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you reading the entire piece before commenting. You’re my kind of people. High five!
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