Breaking bad on social media!

The rush! Sita Dahal, wife of Maoist leader and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, died two weeks ago. Although people have a mixed opinion about PM Dahal and the armed rebellion he led, they generally sympathize with him because of his family tragedies. Parliamentarian Toshima Karki probably had not realized how her words of condolence could be doctored into a viral content. Many opinion makers, social media influencers as well as news consumers were quick to criticize her without listening to the full audio. Some of them later removed their posts. But, why did they rush in the first place? Would their intelligence be questioned if they were late in the commenting game?

Same incident, different picture: media person Krishna Kandel was so engrossed in showing himself offering prayers to the deceased that he forgot people were watching. Standing before the dead body, he fiddled with the camera his staff was carrying to keep the focus on him, which looked staged. There are others, super brave, who post pictures against the backdrop of people who just died in accidents. The logic probably is to let the world know that they were there. But the digital world has numbed their senses which is why they do not consider the impact those posts can create on the family members. The videos of mistreatment of two women in Manipur, India, is a global example of how perceived bravery can lead to spreading hatred and negativity at catastrophic levels.

There is no question that digital platforms have connected the world. At the same time, it has exposed the dark side too. The Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, for example, publishes the cases of online child abuse, sexual abuse, harassment, character assassination, identity theft, blackmailing, and other cybercrimes almost on a daily basis.

Open and constructive discussions, whether online or offline, are crucial and are part of a democratic atmosphere. However, social media has made it less decent, harsh, and targeted. We have seen how social media posts by the American President Donald Trump or our own Dharan’s Mayor Harka Sampang turned against them. Trump was banned by Facebook and Twitter. The respect Harka earned as a hard working mayor could dwindle as his arrogance can defeat him. Social media is a means to reach a wider audience, but you have to be courteous and think a number of times before posting anything for public consumption.

If you go to Twitter, most of the people are engulfed in fighting; the language they choose, the reactions they make, and the doggedness they display have reminded me at least to just be the observer. Negativity and hatred have found an easy place to be contagious, and they spread like wildfire. People have all sorts of interest, to make someone popular, to defame someone, to push their vested interests forward, or to advocate for a good cause.

At a time when the internet almost runs in our blood, it can be hard for us to know what is authentic and what is fabricated. In the name of freedom of expression and speech, we seldom watch our words used on social media. The digital footprint that we leave can come back and haunt us just like Harka Sampang’s posts from 2015.

It’s time for critical thinking and critical questioning to take place in every household as a way to promote social media literacy. Gone are the days when we proudly said what population in Nepal had access to the internet; time has come for us to say what population is using the internet safely and responsibly, and what we can do to make it a respectable place for everyone!