At the recent Mississippi Press Association Better Newspapers Contest banquet an award was given for newspapers’ best use of social media, “As if that were possible,” the presenter said to an eruption of laughter in the room.

Thus is the reputation of social media these days in which people will argue over virtually anything and post things they would never say in real life.

Post something no matter how benign on social media, and it will more than likely garner a negative response.

Social media post with picture: “What a beautiful blue sky we have today.”

Cranky reply: “No! It’s actually azure!”

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not against legitimate inquiry and constructive criticism and pointing out problems that need to be solved.

On social media, however, it seems a lot of people just want to be negative for the sake of being negative and to provoke a response.

“So-and-so has really ticked me off.”

Or, “I’ll never do business with so-and-so again . . .”

When I see such posts on social media, I just scroll on by.

Judging by the comments, however, many people can’t help but chime in whether they agree or disagree. It has become a sort of sport.

Social media has its good points, though, and I suppose that is why I continue to look at it. We can keep up with family members, friends and their children, find out who is sick and who is on vacation, etc., but even that is best consumed in small doses.

I implemented a personal social media policy a couple of years ago in which I do not look at social media until I have been awake for at least a couple of hours.

Looking at social media before then can sometimes get your day off to a bad start, especially when you see people posting negative rhetoric or bickering.

It makes me wonder about people who perpetuate negative social media posts in which nothing goes un-criticized, nothing is positive and everything is negative.

People who post mostly negative content tend to attract comments from negative re-enforcers on every post, and they dip in to comment on each others’ posts creating a negative reinforcement feedback loop.

The more they like each others’ negative posts and chime in with negative feedback the more empowered they feel to post more negative stuff and before you know it, they are saying things about people that they would never say to people’s faces in the real world, creating a toxic environment on social media where no rhetoric is too harsh. No positive statement goes unchallenged. No negative statement goes unreinforced.

Think before you post. If you wouldn’t say it out loud in the fellowship hall at church, you probably shouldn’t say it on social media.

If you are not at least 90% (I’m being generous here) sure what you are posting is true, don’t post it. Only post news stories from credible legitimate news sources that fact-check and edit their work.

If you have a problem with someone, pick up the telephone, call them and talk it out and try to resolve it before you post about it on social media for the whole world to see.

If it is a societal problem that needs a solution, offer a solution, or better yet, get out from behind the computer and go out and make a difference in the real world by working to solve the problem.

Bottom line: Mind your manners in the real world and online.

Scott Hawkins is editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at 601-445-3540 or scott.hawkins@natchezdemocrat.com.