Rawen's Musings

I’m in a ranty mood and this is something that’s been sitting in my head for a long time and likes to return more and more. It’s also mildly ironic since I’m going to use socials for spreading the word but I’m aware of the consequences and accept the possible shit-storm this will cause. As if the one outside wasn’t enough (at the time of writing, there was a massive downpour in my place).

So, let’s get in. I’m absolutely fucking boiling sick of people on social networks, spewing whatever hateful or ignorant horsecrap or literally publishing their lives as if they were the main character of a movie. Like, sometimes the content is enough to raise my already messed up blood pressure. But what puts me into a total rage mode is whenever these people are called out on their idiocy and they all go “AAAA, SPYING!!!” or my “favourite”: “MUH FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!“ To these I can say only: “NO, FUCK OFF! YOU’RE AN IGNORANT, IRRESPONSIBLE FUCKTARD! HAVEN’T YOUR PARENTS TAUGHT YOU RESPONSIBILITY, YOU JACKASS?!”

Whew, sorry for that firebomb but I have to hammer in this point. I was born at a time when my country just recently got rid of an authoritarian government. All my life I was raised in being mindful about what I say and how I present. This also made me quite anxious as a kid but I’m tackling this as an adult now because of pretty much the points I’m to state here and repeat in one of my future self-mentoring episodes. Both my parents follow similar rules, to a point where neither has any socials. My dad briefly had a FB account but that one’s long gone and my mum wouldn’t touch social media with a kilometre long pole while wearing a radiation suit (bless your soul, mum, you’re being spared of some really nasty shit).

Yet at the same time, and ironically a lot of the people I’ll be talking about are pretty much the same generation as my parents have no problem literally stripping their lives on social media or saying the absolutely insane shit that they could conceive. And when they’re called out … see above. It’s as if they’re thinking they’re unreachable because “This is the Internet. The anarchy zone.”

No, my dear, it’s not. And it hasn’t been for decades. You’ve just been wilfully ignorant of the fact and merely abused the lack of legislature during those times. But that time is over and it’s time to realise that you’re very much responsible for what you say. For the “spying” thing; first, YOU set your profile public. YOU put all the information in. YOU have your posts publicised under YOUR name. What you basically did is you took your ID, turned it into a poster and then plastered it all over the place you live in. And you’re doing the same with the things you post. And you have the guts to accuse people of spying, you ignorant? It’s as if you made your house out of glass and then complained people are watching you take a shit. So, my dear privacy-ignorant denizen, before you accuse people of looking at your bare backside, put on some pants.

Now the “freedom” part, the thing makes my blood boil. In a weird way, social media, especially those who promote themselves as “uncensored” or “absolutely free” are a great example of how the “absolute freedom” works. Or more accurately, how it absolutely falls flat on its face … from a plane … and it has a jet-engine strapped to its back. Again, you’re responsible for your words and actions and you’re to be held accountable for them. When you take away this accountability, the only thing that remains is enforcement through power which, ironically, is the exact opposite of freedom. Take look at our favourite punching bag (which is full of rotting corpses), Twitter. So much “absolute freedom” that you can’t really say anything without risking the insult to the “great overlord”. Is that what absolute freedom is for you? If so, you have serious problem between your ears. So yeah, when you’re being held accountable for your words, be it by the public which is a very slippery slope (“cancel culture” is an example of the opposite extreme) or by the platform itself because you really crossed the line, better take accountability and maybe think about what message you’re passing with your posts. I’m not discouraging your from being mad about something. Hell, I’m ranting right now. But keep in mind it’s you who put your thoughts on paper, so you own those thoughts. And a little bit of foreshadowing, you’re only free as long as you’re responsible for yourself. If you refuse to accept that, you’ll never be free.

So, in the end, people need to learn that they’re responsible for what they do and say in the cyber-space the same way they’re in real life. Because Internet isn’t private and never was and no amount of encryption will save you from being an idiot. And believe me when I tell you that those who enforce the laws don’t even need convoluted methods to find out who you are. In fact, you already told them long ago.

So how to deal with all this mental load? Start with being mindful about what and how you post things. Always ask yourself “Am I comfortable to shout/show this on a town square full of people? Possibly naked? Possibly getting punched in the face or maybe even shot in the knees?” If you answer to ALL of these yes, then post away. Otherwise, consider that maybe this should stay in my own personal spot. Or maybe just between trusted folks. Your privacy and safety starts with you. You’re a responsible adult and believe me, responsibility doesn’t hurt and doesn’t limit you in any way. In fact, it frees you a lot.

R.R.A.