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Remembering what is important can be hard online

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Staring at a screen can be dangerous when considering what is right and wrong.

It can be easier to form a quick opinion after reading something short online–sometimes only the headline than it is to dive deep into a topic to fully understand it. It also takes more time.

As we move more towards living and working online, more effort needs to be put in before jumping on the bandwagon of opinions.

I think everyone could benefit from doing more research, including myself. Regardless of the topic or the level of seriousness, every topic deserves a fair chance.

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The beauty community the past two weeks is a perfect example of how misleading things can be online (search James Charles controversy if that is a rabbit hole you would like to fall down), not to mention the fake news that is plastered all over my Facebook timeline everyday from childhood friends.

Another example came up last week when I was scrolling through one of the Mayerthorpe Facebook pages and noticed a post about the Visitor Center admission charge.

At first glance, I thought people were right to be angry because it had sounded like a $2 fee was being enforced to use the washrooms meant for the Visitor Center and area. People visiting the Fallen Four Memorial Park typically used this washroom as well.

Through a screen, it was easy to raise my eyebrows at such a thought without even thinking about the reasons behind the change.

Colette McKillop, on behalf of the Mayerthorpe Fallen Four Memorial Society, said the charge was created due to the Visitor Centre being visited for the washroom more so than the actual museum.

A small reason can go a long ways. If people are not spending time and money at the Visitor Center, it becomes a difficult or impossible thing to run.

“The Visitor Center is expensive to operate and our volunteers’ time is valuable, the Society doesn’t believe it’s unfair or unusual to charge admission,” McKillop posted on Facebook.

She explained that the Visitor Center was never intended to be a public washroom for the playground and park, which explains the two unisex bathrooms and not a public washroom system.

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This issue has the potential to continue on, of course, but my opinion changed on the matter right after I heard the reasoning behind the fee.

Our devices have the ability to lie to us in the most convincing of ways. With the right words and phrases, anything can be deemed as believable. I think it is important to remember there is more to every story, or at least a different view.

Luckily, I do not post much of my opinion online, and when I do, I typically wait to post anything online until learning a lot about the topic. But, sadly, it can be harder to stop a thought from forming into a set opinion.

Slowing down for a second and remembering what is important in life and what is not will help guide my way through social media and the never ending stream of controversies.

-Bretany Tourout,
Mayerthorpe Freelancer

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