So I know of late I’ve been on and on about how great social media is, even recommended it to the government. I mean it’s no secret that social media has totally turned around the way we interact with each other, it has enhanced it on the most part but look, everything under the sun has its own demerits (though some more than others).
I’m sure whenever we talk about the evils of social media our focus is always drawn towards fake news. Yes fake news is a problem but you know what’s worse than fake? true. No need for that expression you just put on your face, I’m willing to explain.
See it’s one thing to hear that people are being sawn to death for walking in a certain street and at a certain time of the day then it turns out to be fake but it’s another when you see a video of someone actually being sawn to death for walking in a certain street and at a certain time. Of course being sawn to death is being sawn to death, for whatever reason it’s just unacceptable, but I had to use that example to make my point.
Where is this coming from?
So yesterday, a video of someone being chopped to death was circulating on WhatsApp, and if it didn’t get to you, this is one of those few times in life where you ought to be grateful that something missed you.
We know the world is not an entirely pretty place, we get that some people are murderous… but filming it? Now that’s some high level of messed up. Actually, I can bet you a dollar that filming such is highly inspired by the existence of social media – a platform where one can easily show the world how ‘bad’ they are.
In fact, there’s something about social media that draws people to just becoming all showy. Showy even with the most disturbing of things. Facebook right now is struggling with people who livestream murders and/or even suicides. This is why they recently upgraded their anti-suicide measures by adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the mix.
We could have easily concluded that people want bragging rights for killing people on (or and then posting to) social media platforms but clearly not…maybe to some but considering the prevalence of suicide on record, it becomes a bit more complicated than that. I mean which bragging rights exist when one’s dead???
Honestly, in as much as social has enabled free flow of information, there is just a certain type of information we regret to let ‘flow’. The weird part is, as according to the perpetrator’s plan, we participate and let such things go viral. Shame on us. Why on earth should we be forwarding such???
This is exactly why some people’s auto download is off even at the expense of missing out on the really important stuff. Well that and being an Econet subscriber, but mostly that (bad time to joke, I know but I honestly couldn’t help it).
Anyway, I just wish we could just start being a little more responsible and realise the impact of the content we forward on social media.
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7 comments
I totally agree with you to the last full stop (including the Econet subscriber thing). People are just being nasty.
I completely agree with you. However the question i always ask myself when i see some of the videos is; what exactly will be in the mind of the person capturing the video…and sometimes his/her mental. This is especially true for videos of maids abusing kids left in their custody and some more or less similar. It’s good social media companies are working to curb such practices. However we also have to look beyond that and also question our morals as a society.
Quite true… It really reflects our morals as a society.
I concur with you, social media will be a better place for people used it responsible and well as econet subscribers it will save us data if people weren’t forwarding all the crap they get from the net
Take some of the responsibility. What you receive is a reflection of the online company you keep. Surely, someone doesn’t send you a mutilation video, porn video, religious video, a joke e.t.c unless they believe you’d find it interesting.
Anyway, ff you don’t like what’s being posted on a group, leave. If you don’t like what someone sends you, block them. It’s that simple.
You remind me of folks who complain about online bullying and keep visiting said FB groups and forums where they get bullied. The Internet is deep and dark, stay in the shallow end if you want to avoid the the sharks.
You probably watched the video to the end though, didn’t you? 😉
couldn’t have said it better ??
I’m not sure what more says taking responsibility than the “we”s in that article but anyway you’re right.
But I really don’t agree with the stay in the shallow advice because to be honest even in the shallow, dark things do get to you. In every group there’s always that random person who sends something that’s off and believe you me when that person is removed from the group, there’s always someone else to replace them. So really you can’t completely stay away, you can minimise the chances but you cannot completely eliminate them.
And by the way, c’mon! a little confidence please… I’m not that much of a hypocrite so no, I did not