By: Aziz Rinaldi) *
Demonstrations that occurred in recent days continue to be discussed on social media. Videos and photos of violence continue to flow and become a conversation in the community. In fact, the spread only increased fear and triggered mutual suspicion among residents. Citizens must wisely address this phenomenon.
Social media seems to be a space for anyone to share freely, this is because of the thin filtering of information except ourselves which filters the content we see / read. Various Videos and Photos about violence have also been seen by us in various timelines, ranging from actions in Papua to riots related to the rejection of the Criminal Code Bill in various regions.
The spread of the content certainly disturbs many internet users who want to access certain information, meaning that before entering into social media, we must synchronize our fingers and minds to not share anything that is provocative or violent.
Social Media has become one of the online-based communication tools that is growing rapidly. Media observer Rulli Nasrullah said social media had provided ample evidence that the level of education did not affect digital literacy very much.
According to him, netizens’ attitudes should remain critical. This was done in order to avoid provocation that caused divisions due to the clutter of information which was unclear.
A provocative news that is often fussed about will certainly spread more easily. In this case we need to understand the classic proverb that says, prevention is better than cure. This means that if negative content has spread into one’s soul, then to heal and fix it is quite difficult.
In surfing on social media there is certainly an ethic that is a reference for netizens, where internet users should use their time in social media to establish friendship and cooperation in building a nation, not as an instrument for fighting and copying bad-mouthing.
In the initial paragraph, we already know that filters on social media are very minimal, meaning we must continue to use reasoning to digest the content in social media, analyze both messages and news that contain nuances of violence or hate-speech that clearly aims to damage the joints of national and state life.
Social media can also be toxic, so we need to do digital detoxification by “deleting” and not sending messages or news that have the potential to have a negative impact on society. Our fingers are the strongest filters, lest we become agents of spreading videos and photos that contain violent content, keep in mind that social media is entertainment and hospitality, not a place to invite violence.
Meanwhile, we must also understand that social media can be a dangerous trap, meaning that it is not only fixated from just one source, if there is content that is troubling, it should not be trusted immediately. We must explore as much as possible valid and reliable data, at least there must be comparative news so that we do not fall into the trap of wrong perceptions and assumptions.
We certainly already know a lot, that social media can turn people into haters and radicals, or at least there is one seed of hatred for what we share on social media. Of course we have to activate the sensitivity of our feelings related to the impact of the message or content that we write to be conveyed to the public through social media, of course we have to go through the stages of reflection and consideration seriously, because negative content can have devastating adverse human impacts.
In responding to information that tends to be provocative in social media, of course we need to be skeptical first, for example the clashes that occur between the apparatus and students, we certainly need to think again, whether students are currently in that bar, or maybe there are intruders in it that damage public facility.
This thought will certainly prevent us from assumptive traps on an event, if even the contents of the violence are true, of course there will be no point for us to spread.
Do not let us be enslaved by technology, with the sophistication of access to information that is getting faster, lest we become people who are quick to anger just because the information is unclear validity. The formula is Read, Thorough, Reflect and do not just click the share button.
) * The writer is an observer of social media activists
