Grammar Nazi. Overzealous English professed. Stuck-up nerd. All of these are things that describe a type of person all of society seems to hate: those who are constantly criticizing others' grammar. For some reason (could it possibly come from the fact that a person is offering harsh advice that no one asked for?), most people highly dislike "Grammar Nazis". However, these types of people also present an interesting question: is it better to learn from your mistakes, be humiliated, move on, and become a better person-slash-writer because of it; or is it better to murk in your own ignorance for the rest of your life, silently laughed at by those who know better?
The internet present a common breeding ground for these Grammar Nazis. The comfort of being safely hidden behind a username and a screen gives these grammar watchdogs, so to speak, a sense of security. They can say what they want with very little consequences in the real world. This brings a problem, however: with no consequences, these people can say what they want. They can be as rude as they wish, and humiliate well-meaning content-producers.
The New York Time wrote an article on an Instagram account called @englishbusters, an organization that targets Indonesian "influencers" (Instagram content producers with large followings). Upon finding prey--i.e., a popular post with a grammar or spelling mistake--the account attacks, and writes a generally rude comment correcting the mistake. Some people love it; some people hate it. Followers say that the comments are direct and help improve general knowledge. Haters say that they are rude and "border on public shaming".
Cindy Cendana, an Indonesian beauty influencer, wrote in response to one such comment, “I was surprised, but happy at the same time because I had my clumsiness corrected for me.” She may have reacted positively, but the question still stands: should one even bother to correct grammar online, or is that too low a blow?
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