Unmasking Online Behavior
When faced with the question of why someone would use Twitter to insult another person, my response was simple yet insightful: ‘The power of hiding behind a screen works its magic. One idiot at a time.‘ What followed was a poetic reflection on the complexities of digital identity and online behavior.
Facel3ss
The power of hiding behind a screen
works its magic, subtle and sharp.
The faceless masses gather,
cloaked in pixelated armor,
words slipping through cracks
in the walls they’ve built themselves.
One idiot at a time,
they rise—
brave in the glow of a backlit world,
fingers faster than thought,
tongues sharper than truth.
Each keystroke lands like a punch,
but the face never bruises.
The mirror never shows the damage.
They learn to wield their anonymity
like a weapon,
yet somewhere behind those glowing screens,
behind the noise of notifications,
a silence waits—
quiet enough to remind them
that nothing real ever grows
in the shadow of a mask.
(c) Eric Montgomery, October 2024
Prompt Discussion
This poem is just the beginning – now it’s your turn! What do you think about the ways we present ourselves online? Do you feel like this poem hits the nail on the head, or are there other factors at play?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. Are there any personal experiences or observations that relate to this theme? Do you have a favorite quote or phrase from the poem that speaks to you?
And if you’re feeling inspired, why not try writing your own response to this prompt? Maybe you’d like to explore a similar idea in a more serious way, or examine the flip side of online behavior. I’d love to see what you come up with!
And finally, be sure to check out more of my stories, poems, and other prompt responses. Or share my site with a friend that may be interested in my work.