complaining vs. the internet

complaining used to be such a beautiful thing. sure, complaining can be annoying, but that's the point. complaining leads to change... usually. if you complain about something long enough, you're bound to do something to get rid of whatever it is that's causing you to complain in the first place. it's one of the great advantages of being a human being. we have this amazing ability to find something that bothers us, bitch about it, and then do something to change it. if the complaining leads to something being done, then i say no harm, no foul. it's a justified means to an end.

however, with the internet, complaining has taken on a different role. people find stuff that annoys them and then bitch about it on the internet (i understand i'm also guilty of this). you can find this sorta thing anywhere on the internet really, but especially in the comments section. and for some awful reason, every corner of the internet has one. as soon as people drop their complaint online, they walk away feeling as if they accomplished something. sure you have left your imprint on cyberspace with a finished tweet, blog post, youtube video, etc... but you haven't accomplished anything to change what you were complaining about in the first place. it's no longer about a means to an end. the complaining has become the end and that's no good for anybody.