Beware of the power of social media

There’s an unhealthy relationship with mobile devices and social media platforms. Those who live in the glare of public scrutiny have decried the way the public violate their privacy in social spaces.

What the layman can do on social media, a celebrity cannot; they are expected to conduct themselves in a different way as they have been put on pedestals. We need to do better. Lately, a man whose sanity is yet to be assessed, attacked and violated the corpse of a former co-worker.

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Sibanye-Stillwater mine was the scene of a brutal killing that turned bizarre when the accused stopped to take selfies with his victim. It’s not known if this was done for clout on the socials, part of a ritual, or evidentiary support of the act, but it’s definitely bizarre!

Social media has a power that cannot be denied and because of that, its heavy hand must be acknowledged. We live in the digital age in which one can become a media sensation for good deeds or for notorious activities.

All-powerful followers

The list of social media darlings is endless. They are people we would never have heard of it if not for the share buttons on our timelines. The last thing anyone in the limelight wants is for social media to turn on them. Hell hath no fury like angry social media followers.

Whatever you do, do not upset the followers, they will end your career in a series of tweets. This issue is relevant to everyone. We all talk more than we should at times and when asked about it, we deny, deny, deny.

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But with social media, once it’s out there, it’s out there for all eternity. That is the power of screenshots and shares. People in government have lost their well-paying jobs because of unintelligent rhetoric made on social media.

What more of a deterrent do people need to stop using social media to seek attention in this absurd way. Social media can break a career before it takes off. Use it wisely.

Have we become so obsessed with content that we allow ourselves to become bankrupt in reasoning?

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