by Donald Sevilla
DIGITAL NINJAS
Everyone loves excitement more than boredom. People have a tendency to dwell on controversies and talk about it rather than rely on factual, boring information. We tend to exaggerate and blow things out of proportion and beam with pride at being the first to know or a go-to source of information.
This explains why we develop a penchant for gossip and spreading rumors. We love to entertain and be entertained. While it may seem harmless it becomes a mean tool to destroy other people’s reputations when done deliberately and with malice.
A favorite pastime of idle minds is to talk about people. Small minds talk big while great minds talk less.
In today’s age of the internet with less stringent boundaries on fair usage and ethics, it becomes easy to destroy people and damage their reputations. Like actual killers that physically end peoples’ lives, these virtual assassins inflict an equal amount of damage, sometimes irreparable to one’s career and good name.
With social media within reach of almost everyone, many lives can be destroyed, propelled into glory or infamy at the click of a mouse. Many hiding under a false identity can do just about anything they wish to their intended target.
Such is the dreadful reality of a life in this digital age. Where before cyber libel and bullying were unheard of, it has now become commonplace.
Yet, as a responsible and vigilant citizenry, we must work together to put a stop to this senseless cowardice. Like ninja assassins lurking in the dark to spring at any potential victim, these opportunists abound in the world wide web. Internet trolling has become a lucrative business for some.
With various platforms such as Tik-tok giving rise to content creation, many are scrambling to become the new celebrity. Ego-trippers and loose canons may have a field day in their new-found fame or notoriety. But for all its worth we must always be wary. The digital age will change our lives and we must learn how to handle it.
Boon or bane it all depends upon us. However things turn out we must not allow cyber bullies and trolls to affect us. Many wily personalities exist and we must learn to keep them at bay.