I was poring through the latest posts on social media when, except for the steady ration of endless vacation selfies, Amen announcements, and stupid political agenda, a stream of warnings of impending doom had likewise began to impose themselves on the timeline. I could of course say “my” timeline, but I believe every one had noticed them in theirs too.
These so-called Don’t Ignore alerts from “experts” on practically anything: from kidney stones to rogue meteors in outer space, from major earthquakes to tsunamis, and from all conspiracies left to right, are ad infinitum-ly posted by only who knows, until at the end of the day, one is wont to say, what’s new, kalbo? Or wow, Cubao.
The latest application Face App is one example. It is making the rounds and currently toy of the day, with shots of “old” people suddenly becoming vogue overnight. An article pops up and sternly warns that this supposedly-Russian application is nothing but a ruse to intrude into one’s photo gallery and steal personal pictures. So?
American apps (like Facebook) have been at it for years and no one has raised even the tiniest red flag. Have you ever wondered why you get calls and e-mails from banks and credit card companies that announce their latest free offers? They have all your infos, dumbledores, and where do you think they got it from? All personal information from the net could be picked, sorted, bundled and sold, in case you didn’t know already.
This Russ threat might as well be the 50s McCarthy red scare all over again, but while it has been obvious from the start, it had at least now, found new use: steal your bio, spy on your life, blame someone else, and then make profit.
On the matter of current events, can someone explain what is with this “breaking news” mentality nowadays? There has to be a psychological explanation to all these, because an irritating lot one seems to always be in a race to be first, or if not, become a popular bearer of sensational events. Used to be, the concept of sharing the news and updates, was a simple FYI, meant for a small world. It has now become as common as your friendly neighborhood fence-gossip. Truth of the matter is that, people read, people. So, why broadcast something everybody knows already or is bound to find out on their own anyway?
Remember the Gulf war? There was only CNN then in this part of the jungle, and no internet. Everybody wanted one thing only: a daily account of the war and we got it. From one source.
Now, you can access 48 sources, read through 77 analyses and interpretations and finally laugh and rave through more than a thousand opinions and then attempt to obliterate everyone with your honest (or straight-faced) comments.
So what gives?
Finally, there’s the natural calamity scare. In the case of an event that had already occurred, a report from any professional source, available on the net, would have sufficed. But no, we have to get it from every Juan, and anyone else who’s a closet newsman, or self-important harbinger, when a simple link could easily have done the trick.
On the possibilities and threats of outbreaks and disasters that have yet to come, a double-edged possibility exists if one takes up the reins of posting them; from mere info-sharing, which is humane and natural, to spreading fear and panic, which, though innocent to some, is both irresponsible and self- serving.
Luckily, there is a filter for all these trash we constantly read on the net. Ask yourself this important question, so what?
Take it from the oldie, ninety-five percent will totally be flushed away easy.
If not, so what?
