Note: This “Moore to the Point” commentary aired on NewsTalkSTL on Thursday, April 21st. Audio included below.

“Do unto others as you would have done to you.” We all know the Golden Rule – learned it in childhood. Yet it seems so difficult for some to follow.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in the realm of social media. There is something about being behind a screen – and possibly a screen name – that prompts people to forget their manners – and, some might argue, their humanity – or, at least, the humanity of others.

We’ve seen that play out in real-time this week after the Washington Post’s “tech reporter,” Taylor Lorenz, saw fit to expose the identity of the individual behind the Libs of TikTok — a highly popular account known for sharing (and thus amplifying) some of the sillier stuff posted on TikTok, particularly by progressive activists moonlighting as teachers.

This same reporter cried dramatically in an MSNBC interview two weeks ago about the trauma she’s experienced after being hounded online – then promptly turned around and doxed the Libs of TikTok owner – to what end? It’s a bit difficult to see how it was designed to do anything other than invite harassment of that person.

To be clear, no one should be harassed online – that wouldn’t happen if we all remembered – and followed – that very basic rule.