Words and the Effects (a talk about how our language carries a stigma)

Language is something that many people use everyday. Whether it’s in written form, verbalized, or held consciously, we use language to communicate ideas, socialize with others, and rationalize our thoughts. But there are the positives and negatives to something that is so useful and dominant in our lives today. The negative I want to talk about deserve and example. So here we go….

I love to play video games! Within the past two-four years, I have really gotten into games that focus a lot on online multiplayer modes. But, with the presence of the online community, things can become toxic. I was just playing a game in Overwatch tonight, where the individual called another person a “retard” and then proceeded to make comments about how he would probably be euthanized. I became very angry as this is something that is really annoying to me. With words like retard, autism, and “that’s gay” being thrown around; it’s hard to not be offended or at least upset by these words.

That’s because these words that they use are almost exclusively applied to a negative context. I had a roommate my first year of college who had a friend that almost everyday said multiple time, “that’s gay”. I said something along the lines of, “what’s wrong with being gay”. His response was, “you know what I mean”. I felt upset by these words because when individuals use words like “that’s gay”, they are applying a negative context to a phrase or a word, making it so that individuals might see these things as bad.

Let’s say you’re an individual who grew up in a very Christian oriented home, who had very little communication outside of the church and home, and was taught that being gay was bad. A person who says “that’s gay” and says that to apply it to a negative situation, others might begin to think that being gay is a bad thing or that anything gay is deviant or could be followed with insults about individuals who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

But let’s take it a step back from that. I am a person that cries to understand why and individual says somethings. But I also have to admit that I probably need to study more about social psychology. But I have a background in understanding the community and also focusing on the micro and macro of the social world. So I try to apply the theories I have been taught into situations.

In a way, this is basically like Labeling Theory. This theory can be defined as, when an individual or group has a stigma or idea attached to their identity, if they begin to believe through repetitive actions and words, they might start to conform to those stereotypes. In a way, this is like labeling theory, because we are taking what is said about individuals in a social context, and some individuals apply that to people and their actions. Continuing with this in comparison to another example; if you tell an older individual that they can’t remember anything or that their knowledge is fleeting, they might individually begin to believe that an not trust their own thoughts or information.

So, there are a lot of people that I have talked to that say that while they understand that what they say is negative, sometimes you have to take things lightly. But we also have to understand that what we say carries a context to another individual. As humans, we are social creatures, so it’s important for us to understand that a lot of what we know was either: written, spoken, or given to us in some form. Depending on the source, there can be intense amounts of bias and persuasive thoughts intruding into our knowledge. That’s why I think it’s important to receive your information and discuss what you think. You end up learning a lot when you talk to others.

Going off of this, I honestly have started to look into everything that is said, and I’ve started to realize that, while individuals maybe aren’t saying things from the heart, a lot of jokes are inherently offensive. Jokes are subjective, just like art, but we also have to understand the impacts that some things have on others. There was an art piece that was in a New York museum. This piece featured the Virgin Mary and she was covered in some sort of feces. The people that viewed the piece felt that it was offensive. But, the artist was from another country where this is a more sacred and celebratory symbol. But we also have to realize that others will have a negative reaction to work like this. So, is it okay if the artist had no intentions of being offensive, or are our reactions valid depending on the culture you come from? I guess it’s an idea, intention versus reaction. What hold more importance?

What we speak of and who we speak for, have a major impact on how individuals interact with each other. We now live in a world where there are so many differing opinions, that it’s hard to not know what is considered more important. With the vast amount of opinions out there, it’s also very difficult to even trust an individual. I do not support Trump and what he and his administration want, but is giving fake news about someone really gonna make an impact? When he or anyone uses words, we have to understand the context, but we also have to make our own judgments. In the end, the words that are said by individuals will have a social impact on someone. Maybe we don’t know who we are impacting, but I can say that we are impacting individuals who are younger, those who are possibly vulnerable, and those that are looking for answers.

For the person in the game of Overwatch, I hope that you learn that what you said is hurtful to others. How can we fight for a better world when we have individuals trying to rip each other a part and use words and language that do not benefit any individual? Yes, you let off some steam, but what else did you accomplish? You got a reaction out of me, but it’s important to understand the impacts that you had on other individuals. Maybe that person you called a “retard” is currently going through a lot. This kind of reminds me of the post on Facebook (i.e. “the girl you called a whore, she’s trying to find love from the neglect she faces at home”). Things of that nature are always an eye opening experience. Our words have major impacts on a person’s life. Why do we try to crush others to feel better about ourselves? Maybe it’s an inferiority complex, but why bother? You let some of your anger and frustration out, but you made others feel the same way too. Do you really want that to happen to others?

-Sterling T. Grissom