There are always people who admonish social media postings like it is a sin. In fact, when they said it is the demise of a person’s career or life, they are right.
But they are also wrong.
I always felt like rebutting them that people die from driving cars, so do you stop driving then?
Therefore, it is right to say that many people have gotten into trouble because of social media, but not everyone who uses social media gets burnt. In fact, out of the billions of Facebook users, only a few gets skewered online, once every few weeks.
Just like driving, if you undertake the responsibility to drive, you will have to drive with care.
Some other people would also raise my example, whereby someone with a Facebook account using my full name went around the net calling people derogatory names. I ended up getting complained even though I did not do no harm.
Using the same analogy, you can be a careful driver, stopping at a red light. The heavy truck behind you was speeding and could not stop in time, so that truck bulldozed you.
Again, does that thought stop us from getting onto the road?
N once told me that “People who hates politics just aren’t good with it.”
Similarly, people who criticises the use of social media just can’t figure out how to use it responsibly.
There were also people who cynically points out that people who likes to post their daily photos are narcissistic, or stupid people who exposed their private lives publicly.
I think they do know that they are exposing parts of their lives to the public, and yes, I meant “parts of”. It is still a conscious effort to post something online.
“Doesn’t that open you to stalking?” the naysayers would insist. Well, we can get stalked even as we walk from the bus stop back to our homes.
Just because something bad is associated with an act, doesn’t mean we have to stop it totally.
Once upon a time, when relatives and friends visit us at our homes, we would dig out our photo albums and start sharing the stories behind the pictures. If possible, we would carry the photo albums everywhere we go, and share the pictures around.
Facebook and Instagram just made what was our favourite pastimes convenient, and far-reaching.
There’s nothing bad about using social media. Just use it sensibly and with restraint.
N.B: Do follow me on my Instagram account (Jie Nuo | 杰诺) and like my pretentious, amateur photography.
