Ok people, big man and big woman thing now. At which point do we start seeing beyond the “Likes”? Hold on let me back it up like a dumper truck for a moment.
In the not so distant past, let’s say a mere 15 years ago, a few men and women controlled our access to the media. They decided what we saw, listened to and read, and it was a one-way conversation. If we wanted to get something out, we had to go through these gatekeepers.
Today that’s not the case, with the growing prevalence Of Social Media in our lives we don’t need anyone permission to publish and put anything out there. The man or woman that own CNN can’t stop you from releasing your version of a news story they are reporting on, the same way no one can stop me from writing and posting this rant. Now in our pockets is one of the greatest invention ever which is also the one thing that has allowed each one of us to become Media Companies in our own right, that right, I am talking about the cellphone.
According to Gary Vaynerchuk, the cell phone is quickly becoming the remote control if our lives and frankly it has become an extension of our being. So why am I saying all this, well, remember our a favorite line from Spider-Man, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
However I think sometimes in the pursuit of the likes, we don’t stop to think about how our actions may impact other people and their families. For example, this morning, I am on Facebook minding other people’s business as usual (Congrats on the new baby Jeffrey) and then BOOM, I came across an alarming video. The video was of a young lady experiencing some mental health issue. Somebody decided to pull out their cell phone and film the video and share it on Facebook.
So I am now left wondering, what was the thought process of the person filming. I am not trying to hate, ok that’s a lie, I am hating. Did they ever think about how that will affect her family, or her kids if she has, did they stop to wonder how that will affect her recovery process and her reintegration in society? Was their first thought what can I do to help or was it, I wonder how many likes I can get?
Listen, people, I am a Social Media strategist, but let’s not make social media take away from our human-ness ( if that’s a word). We all have a responsibility to ourselves and our fellow men. Think before you act, ask yourself, if that was me or my loved one, would I want someone else to take a picture or a video and put us online. If the answer is no, then don’t do I.
But Kimron, I only posted the video so people can see and pray for her and get her help…..YOU LIE, don’t patronize me, you did it for the likes.
People mental illness is real; I remember when I was in Mexico, after a year and a half of being there, I started feeling so homesick to the point of being extremely depressed. A few months later I bought a ticket and went back home for a month to relax and balance myself. One of my close friends from high school is now on the streets, and it breaks my heart every time I go back to Grenada and see him.
My friends, take care of your mental health. And be like Chronix and do it for the Love and not for the likes. Let’s be our sister’s and brother’s keeper once again. Don’t let the ease of posting things on Social Media take away from your humanity. I know sometimes we think that if we are the first to post, we will get more likes and more recognition. But think about the other person in the process, this is not just about you, Let’s make being a decent human being great again.