If you are a grammar police who usually gets irritated and cannot stand your penchant for the use of the fractured King's language ... incoherent sentence structure and semantics ... mind-boggling syntax and word coordination ... this nook is not for you.
But traveling from Aparri to Jolo ... we encountered signage in the streets that managed to put a smile on our faces ... even though Robin Padilla's grandiose display of bad opinions ... or China's flexing his superpower muscle ... has riled up and angered our tender sensibilities.
We are here to celebrate (not mock) the little cracks and flaws in the manner we communicate ourselves. All of us make mistakes ... and at a time when a kilo of rice at 20 pesos is next to impossibility ... we need a little outlet to have a hearty laugh.
And no matter how over-use the cliche goes ... Laughter is indeed ... the best medicine
"Ano oras kaya darating ang danger soon? Sigi nga makapagdive muna ... one time lang. Mamaya pa naman siguro ang pagbisita ng danger".
"Magisip ka nga ... Hindi mo ba alam ang DANGER SOON dito ... ang ibig sabihin sa atin ... ay DANGER ZONE?"
Mary Joy Apostol (Claire) and the series Fractured and Paula Jamie Salvosa aka Amalayer Girl remind us that cyberbullying and labeling can destroy a person ... emotionally and psychologically that is.
Cyberbullying and calling another person by names can lead to anxiety, depression, social isolation, low self-esteem, and acting out violently which can worsen after incessant abuse. A kaleidoscope of emotional reactions and mental issues can happen - anger, self-depreciation, feelings of shame, hopelessness, and absence of social interaction with family and friends as well as the society at large.
Anyone reading this should know that social isolation is deadly and it can lead to long-term physical and mental illness, fear of being ostracized and ridiculed, fear of going out, and exposure to community violence.
We have seen the mechanics of cyber harassment (online bullying). It all started with one person commenting negatively and all this name-calling and labeling lured other readers to comment the same - the hardest "hit" the better. This is called band-wagon mentality - a psychological phenomenon in which people do primarily something just because other people are doing it without any regard for whether the action destroys or leaves the victims in rumbles.
The tendency of people to align their beliefs and behaviors with the person instigating the cyberbullying is also known as "herd mentality" - an inclination where people have to be part of a large group and adopt their behaviors without thinking of the rationality of their actions. Examples of herd mentality are the riots in America started by some ... and everybody followed by burning buildings. breaking doors and windows of grocery stores and widespread looting became a sore sight.
At present on the internet ... Rendon Labador is a classic example ... also the politicians and movie stars who were digging their own graves. It all started with a few negative comments ... then all of a sudden their online bashing became everybody's favorite pastime. Some others coin names to the victims ... the funnier the impact makes a lasting impression and further abuse. A case in point is Amalayer... Pambansang Sawsawero - Inspirational Rice etc.
It is high time ... we have to assess ourselves how easy it is for us to get lured into the process called bandwagon mentality. The next two videos below show the impact and the long-term mental and psychological torture of Amalayer girl. Indeed if you only knew one-fourth of her whole story ... and you didn't realize the hell she has gone through ... you would still be the one who will not hesitate casting the first stone.
Rendon is a muscle man and he wants us to believe that he is a man of steel - but we haven't seen the real him behind all the bashing and the name-calling. Does he have immunity and the ability to resist the gnawing effect of online critiques ... or does he have a thick skin that shields him from the deflating effects of 24-7 verbal attacks and assaults? Or he is a man laughing on the outside ... but crying on the inside? Think about it!
Sa panahon ngayon .... social media can make or break you. It is both a blessing and a curse. Isang post ... click ... or share ... kaya ka nitong pasikatin. Pero kaya ka rin nitong sirain.
In this backdrop, balikan natin ang nangyari kay Paula Jamie Salvosa si Amalayer girl and her journey with online bashers that hit headlines 8 years or so ago. This is an old story alright and I don't have business rehashing them or opening old wounds. But we can learn from her story ... much so that I have never seen any change in the attitude of netizens who made it a living na mag-istambay sa social media and wait for another potential victim na paglaruan ay kutyain.
I-compare din natin ang nangyari kay Mary Jane Apostol or Claire sa series na Fractured - an ABS CBN produced movie- how their insane experience with social media left them teetering in the balance that almost drove them to life of seclusion, hopelessness, fear for their lives, potential violence, suicidal tendencies, and insanity.
Imagine being verbally assaulted: babatohin kita ng mineral water, ipa-gang rape kita, or itutulak sa train station, at batohin ng kamatis ... just how much strength does a fragile woman needs to survive all this?
Watch these two videos ... and judge for yourself if the netizens who banded themselves in a concerted effort have gone too far using their pen and their social media platforms to malign, ridicule, intimidate, and belittle willing victims..
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