Tweeting is not wrong; Cyber Bullying is!

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I guess we already are aware how powerful social media is.  It can make and break people.  But even before the digital technology came in, communication, where social media is a part of, is such a powerful tool.  That's why the quote "The pen is mightier than the sword." was crafted.  So whether it's verbal, through the use of traditional media (print and broadcast) or through the new age digital channels, communication is one slow burn nuclear weapon.  In short, tweeting can also be the new form of chismis (intrigues) or character attack. 

I am writing this to express my opinion on the recent controversy on twitter where Philippine actress / singer Sharon Cuneta (also known as the Megastar) and her daughter KC Concepcion (who is also an actress) were bullied on the Internet.  Actually, the words thrown to them are really below the belt but what really dismayed me is how people reacted and expressed their opinion on this matter.  I read comments saying she should not be on twitter, twitter is not for her, bawal ang pikon sa twitter.  What kind of reasoning is this?

For me this is so similar to accusation on criminal cases like rape and holdup.  When a woman is raped, she will be blamed for wearing a short skirt.  She will be blamed for going home late (even if she came from work).  In holdup or snatching, victims may be blamed for owning expensive phones or bringing cash.  But come to think of it, what's really wrong is the crime itself, which is rape or robbery and not the issues being raised against the victims. 

So for this twitter controversy on Sharon Cuneta, what's wrong is not the Megastar being on twitter but people, who were not educated enough or raised well by their parents, bullying and bashing the actresses on the cyberspace.  Let's put a reason to this and not defend evil to prevail.  The fault is with the cyber bullies, not the victims. 

Perhaps this incident is another case where legislators and social media practitioners can work together on how to manage the use of digital technology.  Is it possible to certify owners of social media accounts before a person can own and use one?  In this way, bogus accounts, where there is no accountability and can be used in crime or any wrong doing, may be prevented.  No one knows yet what could be the effective solution but I do hope we could begin the work.

Let's make this wonderful technology benefit and not destroy mankind.  Remember its main purpose is for communication, not destruction. Use the social media responsibly.