Inappropriate use of digital media

The use of digital media has opened the public to openly express their opinions without having to be face to face with the person(s) they are speaking about.  Several years ago, my sisters was in an ATV accident with her daughter.  She was not joy riding with her child, she simply went to their backyard to speak to her husband and the ATV malfunctioned and the result was the two of them going to the hospital. When the accident hit the online newspaper, people were leaving awful comments, calling for her children to be taken away etc.  My sister broke her back and her daughter was completely fine with a only a few scratches.  We were so blessed with the outcome of that accident but the public who had never met my sister and her family were just awful online.   As a family, we tried to hide the comments from my sister but after a week she searched for the article and was devastated by the horrible things that were being said about her.  

People find it much easier to be ugly to others when they don't have to see or hear the reaction of those they are speaking of.