Hook, Line, Sinker: The Online De(bait)

One of the noteworthy upshots invoked by the rise of social media is the formation of an era of political correctness. By now, it’s common to see public discussions and broadcasted opinions regarding ethical issues dotting your timeline.
And for the most part, it’s blameless. Society is stepping up to becoming more sensitive regarding timely issues that deserve appropriate responsiveness and are dealt with integrity.

The problem, however, is that people tend to get carried away.
It’s Facebook, it’s Twitter—of course I can post here. Or so it seems. You can, obviously, but should you? Social media isn’t a platform apt for debate, and before you say that you only want to share and raise awareness, keep in mind that a moral issue needs profound deliberation along with unprejudiced evidence, and a simple—and frankly, unsolicited—input of judgment from someone indirectly involved seems undependable.

Moreover, if you’ve been riding on your “I have the right” trump card, then you need to be knocked a little off your high horse. Facing the facts, everyone has the right of free speech, but if you think you have the right as an employee to curse your company or the right as a human being to make defamatory commentaries about a politician, then they also have the right to sue you. It doesn’t matter whether what you say is true or not, but how you handle the situation and publicize it reflects how belligerently careless you are. Discretion, accompanied by some indispensable tact, will do you wonders lawfully.

The problem these days is that it’s easy to just jump aboard the bandwagon of warranted hate; there’re people with fingers itching to add their own two cents. The common trend with this ongoing societal rage is to go with the flow. You feel compelled to write about the injustice, because you are allowed to and, “everyone’s doing it.” So you make a post even if it brings nothing to the table. Consequently, this spurs on a ripple effect for other people who feel obligated to pitch in; otherwise they’ll seem apathetic, ignorant, and superficial.

The bottom line is: it’s redundant. They’re only digging a deeper hole, further aggravating the status quo instead of stopping the bleeding. If one article said all that needed to be said, then learn from it, share it, retweet it, make it a conversation starter with your family or friends, start a private forum; if there’s no need to rave about it, then don’t. Just as Ayana Tolentino, opinion writer of Young Star, had put it: “Without considering if we simply speak for the sake of speaking – we miss a golden opportunity for introspection.”

Still, not all posts are toxic and some can even be substance for motivation and persuasion. The key is to only make meaningful engagements, unlike a parrot who only echoes the words of others. Above all else, silence is golden. Know when your words will hold greater meaning.