You all know that person. That person who speaks for or against something on social media, but is a hypocrite in person.

If everyone who complained about something on social media took a stand for it in real life, major changes would be entirely possible.

Standing up for values in person can be intimidating, but it can also be rewarding and extremely important to your cause. Rhetoric on social media is not as effective as taking face-to-face action. First of all, context is crucial to communication in any situation, but especially during an opinionated discussion. In person, body language and tone of voice give appropriate context for those discussions. It’s easier to understand the other person’s point of view when you can hear their tone.

Social media provides a relatively faceless voice for outrage and insult, and debates that would have been civil in a face-to-face environment frequently turn harsh over the internet. People get hurt and ignored over social media because anyone can play off a tweet as harmless, but in person you are forced to acknowledge the humanity in the person or people you are arguing against.

You can talk all you want about injustices but your tweets only mean so much, even if you say all the right things. It is when your actions line up with your words that real change happens.

Sometimes 140 characters won’t communicate as much as your tone and body language does, so while it is important to stand up for your values on social media, consistency is key. Social media won’t make nearly as big of an impact as living your life aligned with the values you embrace on the internet.

Regardless of how you chose to stand for or against something, make sure you do it in a respectful manner. Yelling or typing in all-caps at someone has the same effect; none.

Almost everyone has posted a kind message on social media against bullying, but how many of those people actually take action?

If you really want to have a controversial conversation, it is best to do it in person.