The short-lived demise of ‘Spotted: University of York Library’ is just the latest of moral outrage sagas within the York bubble. 2012 saw students moaning about the library cafe opening hours, March’s Derwent JCRC ‘Nicked’ campaign, and timetable changes, in amongst a host of other menial issues.
Facebook seems to be filled with their ‘#outrage’ of others eating in the library, others talking in the library, and others taking up seats in the library. The comment that perhaps best summed it all up on the Vision website was that of ‘Crying Girl’: “I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school…”
This is not just a problem that exists in York though. From the nationwide moral crusade against Channel 4’s ‘Big Fat Quiz of the Year’ to complaints about footballers who have dropped the odd borderline swearword on Twitter: we’re becoming an easily-offended and humourless nation – and to think that the British are famed for our sense of humour. Unfortunately this does not quite come hand-in-hand with our thirst for morality in every walk of life. Moral outrage spreads across social networks within seconds – got something to moan about? You have a voice to anyone who is not so sick of it that they have blocked your posts, yet.
People often talk about their love for this university and its community atmosphere: you can barely walk across campus without bumping into someone you know or someone you would rather avoid – but it has its own negatives. Every other university out there seems to manage to run pages similar to ‘Spotted’ without causing mass controversy.
Unfortunately in York it seems the banter always goes a step too far for some, on both sides of the coin. We seem pretty docile otherwise: York rarely sees too much excitement and furore over big events and hasn’t even elected a pirate as Union President since 1998 (look it up). That is until we stray into the territory of anything that we can take any kind of offence to. Is this some kind of procrastination from essays, a ridiculous ego trip that spans a small campus or something else?
Just because we all have a publishable voice now, and student life may not be for you what it was made out to be, does not mean that you need to be perennially moaning, and a quick private message voicing your concerns could do the same trick that vomiting your outrage all over campus and social networks does – without punishing the innocent bystanders who are just looking for a more laid back time away from the normal stresses of work.
Personally, I am all for putting up a fight when necessary, and equally I am not one for sexist, racist or other offensive comments or actions, but neither am I in favour of the moral crusaders surrounding minor topics. We have all got a pretty good life going – with lukewarm student homes, running water and Domino’s Pizza available until 5am – but this does not mean we should be spouting the ‘M’ word all over the place.
The articles on this topic from Nouse and Vision have already received over 70 comments between them. Why are we copying the explosive reactions over minor events that we currently see in the national media as well as across social media? York’s bubble has developed a reflective layer of knee-jerk reactions that we could really do without.
So ultimately, to those airing the views that are riling everyone up – please stop, and to those moaning about it – please also cease. In reality, we can probably count the days until the next ‘big’ thing that people want to air an opinion about. Quite frankly, I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school…
Tom Scott, the pirate, was president in 2008, not 1998. There are still undergrads here (assuming they are in the fourth year of a combined degree and did a year in industry) who were at the uni when he was president.