Simon Says Don’t Be A Dick

We may have suffered some online abuse over the years for being so witty and insightful, but, those social media attacks were more Valentine’s than massacre compared to the slings and arrows that Simon Harris has had to endure of late.

The flames of outrage were fanned, of course, during the recent general election campaign, when every Tom, Pat and Sally reckoned they were about to take the Minister For Health down and out of office with just one well-aimed, razor-sharp insult.

Simon was re-elected.

There’s something about social media that can bring out the best in some people – just look at how many problems are solved daily with a little community spit and spirit – and the absolute worst in others.

It’s the anonymity, the delusion of being the wit and the wisdom of the county, it’s the anger, frustration and, in some cases, the certifiable stupidity. Any and all of the above tends to make people reach for the exclamation mark, in the hope that they’ll deliver the fatal blow, the comment to end all comments, and incite not a riot nor a movement but – hurrah! – an avalanche of life-affirming social media likes. 

Perhaps sparked by the sad news that Caroline Flack was found dead in her London home today – three weeks before the former Love Island presenter was due in court over an alleged assault on her boyfriend – Simon Harris posted a short message on his social media this evening.

Alongside the simple quote above, left, the local-lad-done-good wrote…

Something for the keyboard warriors and trolls to consider. Tonight it seems all the more important.

Words matter. We can disagree. We can discuss. We can debate.

We need not hurt and offend and bully.

And within two hours, over 1,000 people had approved this message.

Our parents would tell us that if you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all. Perhaps that little nugget of wisdom needs to be updated for this new generation of clicktavists…

If you don’t have anything nice to say, feck off to bed. You complete and utter arse.

Book cover illustrations by Sean Tejaratchi