Freedom of Speech is our Constitutional Right. But what is not our right is passing judgement without qualifications. Having access to an open platform is a boon as much as a curse. With every kind of injustice all around us, it’s important to be able to have a voice. But as humans, we all tend to misuse our powers and privileges. From any politician getting bail due to power and money, to the horrid gender game, privileged have once and again misused their power. Perhaps on being denied justice several times, our desperate and angry minds take to the place where opinions are easily expressed. But what began as a struggle for justice has become a twisted hell of harassment where anyone’s words can be taken and twisted into a horrid judgement that could take life. Has the line between justice and tyranny blurred? Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, originally a social platform has turned into the Court of Justice that often put people to the guillotine. Listed are the reasons why Social media shouldn’t be used as a platform for justice.
1) LACK OF AUTHENTICITY-
Social media for obvious reasons cannot be trusted as an authentic source of information. Whether it be accusation, opinion, evidence, nothing can be ratified as truth because there’s no way to double-check the information. Plagiarism, emotional manipulation, hoax, and rumours can be very easily gotten away in social media. Hence it must not be a platform of judgment.
2) TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH-
Where thousands of people can put in their opinion, things are bound to get out of control. Chaos emanates from liberty to pass judgment without the fear of being corrected or admonished. From there arises mental pressure and emotional harassment of the target.
3) LACKS THE QUALIFICATION REQUIRED-
Of course, to qualify as a judge you need years of experience, education, and knowledge. But to be able to put forward your opinion from behind the safety of your screen you need nothing except words and perhaps enough menace. That much power handed over to inadequate hands is not only unwise but perhaps fatal.
4) LACK OF HUMANITY-
Personal vengeance often serves as the source of most hate orientated opinions. Most judgment cares more about popularity and likes more than real justice to be served. Often a certain hatred towards a gender, race, religion fuels such an elaborate judgment which eventually leads to disaster. Preying on weak is easy and when one is backed by thousands, the bullying turns into a pleasure hunt which could be devastating for the receiver.
5) JUSTICE IS BLIND, SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T-
Court is a trusted institution based on equality, impartiality, and truth. With no one to rebuke, it’s easy to decide on someone’s life based on partial, unchecked facts. What may seem to be “a few words” can multiply into a hazardous mental torture when thousands decide to pummel an individual virtually through harsh words. Treating a social media platform as a court of justice is and should be a cybercrime that has the power to take lives. There should be a careful screening of opinion which has the power to bully someone mentally and must be done before more power is exploited by humans.
