Letter to the editor: Dogs bark and humans troll the internet - because they can

There's a riddle:

Q: Why do dogs bark? A: Because they can - and because they're dogs.

Dogs bark, humans troll. The difference is that dogs don't pretend to be anything but dogs.

Thanks to social media and the internet in general, humans, in addition to being who they already are, can be pundits, journalists and more.

Dogs bark and humans assign themselves unearned honorary titles for the same reason: because they can. Instinct guides dogs; technology empowers humans.

Social media isn't inherently evil. Every invention from the wheel to the internet has its fly-in-the-ointment version of today's troll mucking it up for everyone. Even Lady Gaga just called social media the "toilet of the internet."

In 1969, the "Peter Principle" introduced by Laurence J. Peter said that in management, people tend to rise to their "level of incompetence" or that an employee gets promoted for his current skills, not the skills required in the new position.

Relying on social media, even to a minor fault, doesn't necessarily indicate a level of incompetence, but rather a threshold of embarrassment.

Imagine a mall walker 10 years ago strolling while conversing with someone on their hands-free phone. The walker notices that she is receiving odd looks from people because she appears to be talking to herself. Momentarily embarrassed, she lowers her voice.

Today, the same mall walker, immersed in texting, tweeting or phone conversation, is oblivious to those within earshot, but no longer cares. And, honestly, unless she's discussing terrorism or sex, no one else cares, either. She's risen to her threshold of embarrassment. Call it the "Twitter Principle."

Lady Gaga once wore a dress made of raw meat to an MTV awards show, so she's not easily disgusted. When she calls something a toilet, even metaphorically, it's hard to argue the point.

Jim Newton

Itasca