The message carried forward on today鈥檚 Pink Shirt Day reads 鈥榥ice needs no filter鈥� and it takes aim at cyberbullying.

It鈥檚 a great message and a good target as the internet and social media has allowed us to have the ability to comment and share our views with everyone like never before.

And while we don鈥檛 want to paint every web user as someone who tends to the negative over positive, in many cases the hatred and negativity associated with online chats or comments鈥� sections of news organizations are overtly negative.

Whether it be snow plows, street lights, our Prime Minster, the Olympics, hockey players, the homeless, politicians, schools, the weather, police, you name it, and someone is complaining about it.

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And where it lives online, it moves into our everyday lives. While this information age has opened up a wonderful world of access, it also seems to bring out the worst in people.

It鈥檚 much easier to sit at a computer and call your local MLA a nasty son-of-a-gun, and quite the other to speak to him or her face to face, discussing matters in a productive way.

And so it goes with today鈥檚 information superhighways: We are connected to everything and a reaction is ready in the palm of our hand.

It is with great interest that we support Pink Shirt Day and the message that it is preaching to others. It鈥檚 not OK to spread hate. Not only is it negative and is like poison to whoever it is aimed at, it鈥檚 also a terrible message to send to children.

Kids are growing up with social media and the internet being just an everyday thing. Any parent will tell you that kids pick up habits by watching them so it鈥檚 paramount that parents realize that they are leading by example when it comes to online behaviour.

Much like the movement in the US where students are fighting back against the gun lobby, we have faith in our younger generation here in Canada and specifically in the Central Okanagan.

While the online world seems to be filled with hatred, we are hopeful our leaders of the future can tap into the web and make it a more positive place.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

kparnell@kelownacapnews.com
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