5/21/2013

Social media is a dangerous place



There was an article in mypaper yesterday by a Joy Fang on the need for caution when treading in the social media. It is so easy to attract unnecessary and hostile reactions from strangers posting under anonymity, and their comments can be harsh and vulgar. Think Matilah Singapura.

Actually it is very true. But not all bloggers are crude, products of bad upbringings, or sick because of Tourette Syndrome or suffering from bi polar disorder or whatever disorder. For everyone such mentally ill blogger, there must be thousands or millions of decent and serious bloggers out there to make social media an important tool in information sharing and news dissemination.

The latest video of a supervisor beating, slapping and abusing his staff has gone viral. The circulation of such offensive acts, with the culprit on video, is a very powerful statement and will bring justice swiftly to the culprit. There is no way to deny the event, and there is no where to hide for the violator. And there is no way for the authority not to do anything about it. Social media facilitates social justice.

Even if everyone chooses to turn a blind eye, the exposure of the act and the culprit are enough as a punishment. The culprit cannot go incognito. He is exposed. He is demasked and everyone who knows him, has seen him, his family members, will know of his disgusting behavior.

This is the power of social media, to expose wrongs, to do rights, to defend the weak and the abused, if done correctly. Crimes or misbehavior or misconduct caught on camera is going to go viral. Of course this new tool can also be abused in the wrong hands. Innocent people can be attacked or wronged for the wrong reason. Some could be malicious, faked and fabricated. Misinformation can also be spread through social media.

Social media is just a tool and its goodness or ugliness, its usefulness, depends on how the users wield it and their agenda of using the social media. And yes, the MOM has acted. Police report has been made against the supervisor in the video. Thanks to the video and the media.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agreed, social media is indeed powerful.

But still not powerful enough to prevent some "undeserving" political parties to win majority seats and form the government with only minority (less than 50%) votes.

And neither is it powerful enough to enable some political parties who are not ready to become ready to be government.

So it is not that powerful where it really matters.

Anonymous said...

The supervisor in the slapping video is only a small fry, as compared to politicians.

Powerful against a small fry for what?

patriot said...

When the Small Fry acted like a sadistic soldier, imagine his commanders.
Unthinkable that in a place where there are more educated graduates than available jobs, the people behave worse than primitive tribe.

patriot

Anonymous said...

This is not an isolated incident. How often has this happened and for how long and how many people knew about it, including top management and HR but DO NOTHING?

Shameful!

Anonymous said...

Matilah will be so proud, Redbean. You mention him in a write up.

Anonymous said...

Read in the other blogs that the intern Shane M was terminated because he whistle blew this case.

How could they do this? Shane M is the hero, the one with the civic consciouness to redress an injustice.

Anonymous said...

Slapping is not a criminal offence. If report police, the police will advise the slappee to file a civil suit against the slapper. Of course the slappee must need $$$ to do that.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Who is the wrong doer? Is this Shane M the wrong doer? If he is not, MOM should step in to help Shane M.

I agree that Shane M should be praised as a civic conscious citizen, an exemplary citizen, a model citizen.

How many of you agree?

Anonymous said...

The rise of social media.
Has TRUTH been hurt in the process?
Or has TRUTH been made more accessible and to a wider audience?

I'm on the side of TRUTH.
Real TRUTH.
Not opinions masquerading as hard or half-baked truths.

Anonymous said...

Where is Zorro?
Is he going to defend the slapped employee?
Or is he too busy networking with his future employers ... in case he loses in GE 2016?

Anonymous said...

Maybe the supervisor (who is dressed in a WHITE shirt) is an old school politician?

Teaching hard truths with hard slaps to a young and daft Singaporean?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the slapped employee will get the protection and justice from our 1st world cuntry?

Retrenched Singaporeans.
What do you think?

Anonymous said...

I think the employee who got slapped is a Singaporean.
If he was a Foreign Talent like a Filipino maid.
Confirm he will be arrested and go to jail.

So in this case.
I think a simple apology can already.
Just a Singaporean who got slapped in Singapore only.
Copy and paste a sincere apology can already lah?

"Well, we’re sorry we didn’t get it exactly right, but I hope you’ll understand and bear with us, because we’re trying our best to fix the problems"

Anonymous said...

Who enjoys better police protection from abusive employers?

A Singaporean working in Singapore?
Or
A Filipino maid working in Singapore?

What do you think?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

It is amazing how redeban appears laud me as some form of "standard" for harness and vulgarity, and then proceeds to comment on a coward supervisor completely losing it and assaulting an even BIGGER coward subordinate.

Asian, imbued so indelibly with the very fucked up doctrines of Confucianism really, at the end of the day have no fucking balls.

No balls for self restraint, and definitely no balls for RETALIATION.

Just be passive and submit to authority -- even when the authority is abusing the fuck out of you.

It is depressing to see a full grown adult male (note: I don't use the word "man" for both these losers) being violently bullied -- repeatedly slapped and scolded in the most humiliating way -- and not do a damn thing about it. Add to insult, the bully doing the assaulting is a puny insect, who needs to be swatted like the creep he is.

Folks, it take balls to self-restrain, and to conduct the authority you have appropriately -- never using your authority to bully or assault.

It also takes balls to respond appropriately -- in kind as necessary.

You can substitute the word "character" for "balls".

I hope there are at least a few bloggers out there who would have responded like I would: in retaliation or self-defence...take your pick...in the heat of the moment there is essentially no difference.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

P.S. Social media and camera phones really rock.

So what if they can do "harmful" things??

All of those "harmful things" done by social media and camera phones are ALL ROCKING FUN! Who gives a shit if people get hurt? (Honest Answer: No one)

redbean: wake up and smell the coffee. You're complaining like a grumpy old man again.

2013 bro. Different time. Different values: more like "anything goes".

>> This is the power of social media, to expose wrongs, to do rights, to defend the weak and the abused, if done correctly.

and...tada....redbean is is the sole arbiter of what is "correct".

Boring old fart.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Thank you old fart. But don't talk so smug. Not everyone is the same. Some are just unable to stand up to bullies for many reasons. They need sympathies and a helping hand.

Ok you go and take 3 aborigine men in one go.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

redbean:

>> Ok you go and take 3 aborigine men in one go.

I have. And they ran off. Admitedly, I had a crow bar.

Even if they didn't and I kena hantam terok terbokok, I would say so without shame.

I have zero sympathy for people who don't even want to TRY to help themselves.

Many of you are hardwired to be kiasu-kiasi and blindly obedient, even when being constantly abused by a so-called "authority" who's way over-stepped their boundaries.

You think your fucking cuntree has got any hope?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I agree with your fucking last sentence.

Anonymous said...

Social media is not dangerous unless those people who used it is a complete idiot. A knife also dangerous in the hands of complete idiot cos can kill but a knife is useful tool for cutting up food and many stuff.

It is a good thing that we have camera phones and social media these days so we will not be brainwashed by those controlled media.


Victorina said...

This is cool!