(ThyBlackMan.com) Social media is a place where by we see a full range of the freedom of speech. Many people feel it’s a place whereby they can speak their peace as they please. They can celebrate the ideas, thoughts and positions that mean something to them. Furthermore, it has become a place of whereby activism is galvanized. More people are speaking out on the social issues of the day via their Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram, and Twitter pages. What has to be accepted is once you post your words do not disappear. Though many advocate that they should be able to say what they please…” Big Brother” is always watching. The watchful eyes tend to surface in many ways. You do not get to decide how your thoughts are interpreted. We know the playing field isn’t equal, so we need to be careful how we choose to interact. Below are just a few reasons to be careful on social media.
How you post can affect your employment. We constantly see people post about race and other social issues. We watch it go viral,
and we watch commenters voice their outrage over comments. Some purposely gun for the posters employment. The power of disgruntle social media is strong, and it could land you in the unemployment line. How many more times do we have to see someone get their jobs snatched. Its doesn’t just happen to racists whites…it can also happen to the activist that takes a stance against police brutality. Furthermore, how you live your life socially can be scrutinized by future employers. Everything you do, and every party you attend doesn’t have to be posted on social media. However, if you must post maybe you should leave out the picture that display you in a very unfavorable light. It may not seem fair, but the drunk posts can come back to haunt you. If you don’t need your job…proceed, however if you know your ability to survive is attached to said job be careful what you post.
Some people take social media too far. Let’s be honest we have seen posts whereby the comments on the internet become real time fights in the street. When you have a family, this is something to keep in mind. Furthermore, if you are an activist you know there could be a threat of violence against your person. Well, this is still the case when dealing with social media. I was one told “cyber time can become real time really quick.” Unfortunately, everyone can’t have civil discussions in person; social media is not removed from this reality. When posting understand depending on the topic and stance some will seek to so you harm.
How you post could land you in jail. When you decide to become a part of movements that question the establishment assume you are being watched. This is not paranoia it has always been a fact. J. Edgar Hoover had his COINTELPRO system, and Jeff Sessions has BIE (Black Identity Extremists). When we decide to stand against being killed in the streets by police and remain vocal about racism in this country know that we become targets. Maybe, if our predecessors knew back then what we know about COINTELPRO their strategies may have been different. Granted, the fight and movement would have continued but the strategy is not the same when you know you are actively being hunted on a federal level…and to what extent. It’s important to learn from the past. Our rights in this country are not respected in the same manner as others…social media is not excluded from this. We must become more aware of how we choose to enact movement. If we don’t want to end up many of us in jail or dead where we can’t be as effective, or not effective at all we must be wise regarding social media.
Social media is not just a playground whereby we can do as we please. It is also understood that everyone doesn’t have the same freedom of speech on the ground, nor in cyberspace. Do as you will but protect yourself, and your family. Be mindful of how you post and comment because you need to be able to provide for self. You need to minimize surprise attacks on you and your family. It is also important to organize movement like we understand we are being hunted. We have a right to say what we feel and post according to those feelings. However, just as it would apply in real time interaction all must be responsible for what is posted, and the image portrayed. Keeping that responsibility in mind could save you a lot of trouble going forward in a time whereby social media, and what’s posted there, is treated more so as reality.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.