I recently saw this Lifehacker article – The Snarky Voice in Your Head is Killing Your Productivity – and it really hit home with me. At first, I doubted I was snarky, but realized better when I recalled two snarky thoughts that I had just minutes earlier on my way to work.
- The first was when I saw a very large teenage girl walking to school in an extremely tight and inappropriate outfit. While I don’t remember the exact thought, it was definitely snarky.
- The second was when a driver glared at me, thinking I might pull out in front of him. I uttered something I often utter in such situations, “I’m not gonna hit your piece of sh** car!”
From those thoughts we hear inside our heads to those snappy one-liners on Twitter, it seems like snark has become a way of life. Wouldn’t it be great to have one day when people go out of their way to be polite, kind and considerate instead of rude, sarcastic and snarky? A group of public relations professionals aims to make a single day, October 22, “Snark Free Day,” and I’m taking the challenge!
The nationwide affiliates of PRConsultants Group (PRCG) are committing to a kinder way of communication and encouraging others to get on board. To promote participation in Snark Free Day, the group has developed a sketch video featuring a ‘World Class Jerk’ named Jonathan Snark. More information about Snark Free Day can also be found on SnarkFreeDay.com.
“Instead of taking the cheap shot, take the high road,” said Toni Antonetti, a director of PRCG. “People have been emboldened by the anonymity and immediacy of online commenting. On October 22, we’re asking others to commit to taking just a moment before speaking, hitting send or posting to think about the effect our words have on those who receive them. Be snark free for one day.”
One PRCG affiliate summed it up simply: “It goes back to one of the earliest lessons we learn in life: ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.’ If that snappy, snarky comment is right on the tip of your tongue, keep it there,”said Melissa Libby, one of the developers of “Snark Free Day.”
Added Libby, “It’s a little thing, but if everyone does it, maybe people will find that being nice has more lasting, deeper rewards.
Great idea! Let’s give it a shot, folks. Join me in going snark free tomorrow!
Thanks for the great post, Mary Pat, While I love a snappy comment as much as the next person, sometimes the speed and anonymity of the Internet can make us a little mean. We’re hoping Snark Free Day will make folks think just a little bit before posting that unkind comment.