Sharing is not always caring – think before you share that post!
'At one stage it was so bad, I was not even sure if what I am saying was the truth anymore.'
This past week’s events of looting, rioting and unrest have been quite stressful for South Africans as fear, anxiety and uncertainty ruled the majority of our day.
Those in the media industry were extremely busy as well, as they not only had to ensure everyone was kept informed of what was going on in their communities, but they also had to follow up on every piece of information that was shared on social media, whether it was a Facebook post, a WhatsApp message or voice note, a tweet or even email.
In the midst of all of these messages spreading faster than a veld fire, there was a moment when I was not even sure if I could believe anything I said. One of the journalists in the office summed it up nicely, when he said that it felt like our residents were suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) and just wanted to be part of all the ‘excitement’.
The truth is, unfortunately, that your FOMO can land you in a lot of trouble. Sharing messages on any social media platform without first confirming and verifying its legitimacy is a crime, and, yes, you can be arrested for it.
When you share that voice note, Facebook post or tweet before even confirming or verifying it, what do you want to achieve? It has happened many times before that a post is shared with a video depicting an activity, but, upon investigation it was found the video was either very old, or not even South African-related. Photos can be misleading too, and voice notes should always be taken with a pinch of salt – just ask the man who circulated a voice note about the supposed attack on the West Rand.
There is a saying, ‘sharing is caring’, but when it comes to social media platforms, the opposite is true. So, before you share something, don’t be a sheep (check the source, look at the history, is it backed by evidence, is it driven by emotion and is the picture used to get attention) and think (is it true?, is it helpful?, is it inspiring?, is it necessary? and is it kind?) twice; it might just keep you out of jail!
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …
