Is Sharing Still Caring?

There’s power at our finger tips not just when it comes to voting and choosing a government, but also from how we use the share button on our smartphones, laptops and the myriad devices out there. Are we using it responsibly? And what happens if we don’t?

We all forward social media messages time to time, the frequency of which varies from person to person. However, this seemingly harmless forwarding comes at a cost. No, I’m not taking about the internet bill at the end of the month but a rather serious issue that’s plaguing our society. We have unconsciously and sometimes consciously, become the human chain for the spread of rumours and vicious ideas. If we ain’t the starting point, we still help propel by sharing it with our friends and the communities we identify ourselves with.

I presume the majority of us don’t start off with ill-intentions in mind but when we hit the share button, we have tacitly accepted and approved the accuracy of the content we are forwarding. I understand sharing is caring but not without fully comprehending what we are sharing and what impact such actions could have. 

Take a look at the turn of events at the seaside town of Southport in the north of England. Three young girls at a dance class were fatally stabbed and the suspect is falsely speculated to be a Muslim immigrant¹. This misinformation spreads like wildfire setting off riots in towns and cities across England and in Northern Ireland. More than 100 police officers have been injured, mosques and accommodation housing asylum seekers attacked, cars set on fire, shops looted and anti-immigration rallies held.

The way we react to what we see and hear on social media leaves a lot to be desired. We are desperate to hit the share button without really checking for the post’s authenticity. In the past, we relied on information from news outlets which were scrutinized for accuracy (at least to a palpable degree), but now it has been rapidly usurped by individuals providing unverified and unconfirmed information on social media outlets like WhatsApp, Facebook, X and so on. 

The Cure

• Avoid mindless forwarding especially when it comes to sensitive content. Let’s pause for a moment, do our research and not share until we have fully verified for the content’s accuracy. When I say research, it does not mean checking more social media posts. More isn’t better here, it actually makes things worse. Rather let’s visit the websites of reliable news outlets and government entities, and check if the information matches. If it doesn’t, there’s our red flag. 
• Our idols are humans too and therefore prone to error. Just because the celebrity or the business leader we are following posts something, it doesn’t become true by default. Let’s learn to separate facts from fiction and not subscribe to anything and everything they post.
• Finally, we don’t have to share or forward posts non-stop. It’s best to let it pass by if we’re unsure. Inaction on our part when we’re not fully convinced breaks the rumour chain and creates the possibility for the truth to emerge soon.

I think it’s time we take responsibility and not just continue attributing the chaos on the streets to poor governance. No government can function effectively without our support. By sharing content carefully and judiciously, and at times by not sharing, we are indirectly lending a helping hand to our government and passively cleaning up the streets from affrays, hate and violence.

May peace be upon us!

References

¹ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg55we5n3xo