Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
In this age, many people live their lives on the internet. They engage in the public use of social media. You can literally track people’s lives from their social media timelines. Sometimes, through social media, people might receive validations, recommendations, and support and when it gets low, they get trolled or cyberbullied.
Most of the cases of cyberbullying are a result of putting one’s self on social media. You perhaps have shared an opinion, thought, idea, or even a picture. Getting trolled on social media is one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can go through. Why? Because people who know you or do not judge through through the lens of their phone.
A comment, picture, or video is enough to destabilize and ruin or detour a person’s life. Unlike the popular myth that only celebrities get trolled on social media, anyone who uses social media is liable to be cyberbullied. Everyone should know the same set of people who validate them on social media can end up condemning them the next day or even on the same day.
Many people avoid using social media to curb these happenings. These people protect their mental health and that of the people around them. The advent of social media has ruined the culture of privacy. Before, you don’t know things about people except you’re close to them but all it takes now is just a phone and an internet connection.
In another way, the public use of social media has raised the audacity of people to pass offensive comments to their fellow humans. I actually don’t blame countries that place strict censorship and monitoring on social media. These checks help curb hateful speech. In this situation, sometimes it feels like the freedom of speech of individuals gets limited but it has more advantages in the long run.
ALSO READ
The use of social media is gradually fading privacy away
People go on live to show off or inform the world about how they live. Gone are the days when only media outlets go on live recording to disseminate information of utmost importance. In the name of lifestyle content creation, people go on live to show us how they lay their beds as if GRWM wasn’t enough.
People are no longer scared of the piercing eyes of enemies or misdoers. Post-COVID-19, the social media have become a place for life documentation. Social media have evolved from being a place of virtual communication to an abode for all.
The irony of it is that people constantly put themselves out there even when they know they’re susceptible to trolling. In this age where massive views amount to monetary rewards, people deliberately post offensive posts, and videos to be trolled and gain attention to their page.
Normal things that are meant to be kept secret are all out just because social media has made it easy. The overuse of the freedom of speech is evident on social media crossing to hate speeches and slander. The leveraging platform of social media gives individuals the audacity to express themselves offensively
The case study of Toyin Abraham and social media trolls
Before the 2023 general elections, Toyin Abraham endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as her candidate. She posted this on her X page before the elections. The Nollywood actress claimed she met with the President and validated his plans for the nation.
Fast forward to Tinubu’s presidential administration, it appeared that the plans the President had were making the economic situation of the country worse. People then decided to tag Toyin Abraham on X, inquiring from her what the President’s great plans were.
Netizens kept trolling her calling her all sorts of names and passing hateful comments to her and her family. Simply put, she was cyberbullied. The Nollywood actress replied to some of those comments she could but it was not enough to withdraw the reins of cyber hate unleashed on her.
Just a few days later, Toyin Abraham started getting trolled on social media. This time it got worse and the comments got her. She then decided to arrest Big Ayo, one of her haters, taking legal action against the X user. Her only offense was she affirmed her choice of candidate on social media based on her fundamental human rights.
While people continue to blame her, I do not. She did not abuse power by getting her bully detained. He committed a criminal act.
‘By the provisions of Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, any person who publishes any defamatory matter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year; and any person who publishes any defamatory matter knowing it to be false is liable to imprisonment for two years. A defendant who publishes a defamatory matter with the intent to extort is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.’ – Nigeria Media Law Guide, Tamaraemi Jombai Attorney – Centurion Law Group.
Cyberbullying should have consequences
The fact people fail to recognize is that they have no right to speak ill against another human on social media. These comments have diverse implications that cannot be controlled. People should know their actions have consequences. Just because you have a smartphone connected to the internet does not mean that you can talk to people anyhow through social media platforms.
The public use of social media has exposed Toyin Abraham to hateful comments from social media users. Her husband was dragged into the matter and from a video she released, one would know that she’s on the verge. There is nobody who wouldn’t be frustrated if they were in her shoes.
This is a wake-up call for social media platforms to tighten their belt on cyberbullying. Any account that passes hateful comments should be flagged down even without people reporting. Let peace and social comportment be the manner of the day.
Discover more from News Round The Clock
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
