How Much Abuse Should A Politician Expect?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40577325
Clearly politicians have always been a target for ridicule but in the old days it was cartoons and bar room brickbats. These days of social media make it a lot more brutal. Should they just suck it up as part of the job or do they have a right to feel hard done by?

[mikey4444]

TTT....Not sure why politician should put up with this kind of abuse, anymore than anybody else ?

[ToraToraTora]

I tend to agree mikey, some of it is very nasty but many might say if you want to be an aunt Sally then expect to have balls thrown at you.

[ludwig]

It's just an unfortunate fact of modern life that the internet/social media makes it much easier for saddoes to abuse, threaten, insult and intimidate people.

There are laws in place that should be applied, but I don't know that politicians should get special protection from it over and above the rest of us.
It's difficult one.

[Kromovaracun]

I don't wish to sound insensitive, but it is very, very easy to put an end to social media abuse - just shut your computer.

Or if that is totally impossible for whatever reason then click off social media or stop using it entirely (I've recently removed my account from facebook and rarely use twitter, it feels great to be shut of it).

[ludwig]

It's not that easy Krom. A social media presence is a necessary tool for public figures these days.

Anyway, I don't like a solutions along the lines of 'If every time you walk down the main road you get bullied, simple solution - stop walking down the main road'.
I believe people should have the right to walk down the main road without getting bullied.

[-Talbot-]

Depends how much they ask for.

[Kromovaracun]

Is it a necessary thing for public figures though? I'm not super convinced, especially as most of them just hire assistants to man their twitter feeds/facebook pages for them. Plus those sites offer a huge array of blockbots and report features to let you cut off contact with trolls, so I'm not sure it's so much of an issue.

Plus I'm just not sure that having nasty words written at you on the internet is experienced in the same way as a lunatic shouting at you in the face on the street.

[ToraToraTora]

yep kromo, i have never used twitface etc. AB is the closest I get to what you might call social media.

[Kromovaracun]

Facebook is really useful for some things. It's an excellent way of finding out about events and things going on near you, for example.
I really don't miss it though. It's extremely repetitive and it sucks up your time like nobody's business. It's like a vortex.

Being honest, even I - until recently a complete social media addict - have never seen the point of Twitter. I like being able to argue with people on FB/AB. On Twitter it's too short so there's no point.

[Khandro]

Kromo //(I've recently removed my account from facebook and rarely use twitter, it feels great to be shut of it). //

I've gone a lot further than that, only last week I also informed all my contacts that I was closing my mobile phone account and did just that. I have stashed my smart phone away in a drawer and I'm now only contactable in person, by email, letter or my house phone, (and of course AB).

I feel very liberated !!