Ab-Titchaz
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 30, 2008
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Someone tell Kenyans about their bad habits
For some Kenyans, social media is gold in its purest form, but being outed on that very platform is everyones nightmare. Photo/FILE
By KAHENYA KAMUNYU
[h=3]In Summary[/h]
We have the freedom to express ourselves on a public forum, where some of us can cajole, argue, and call out anyone we do not like.
For some Kenyans, social media is gold in its purest form, but being outed on that very platform is everyones nightmare.
Social media has a funny way of reaching even the darkest corners of the world, provided there is a human being there.
In Kenya, a city urchin texts a link or even copies a message and sends it to his non-data cousins in the village, and they too remain connected.
The weakest link in social media is not the technology, but the end user, and some people are quickly burning their reputation in a society that no longer distinguishes between online and offline.
So, what are the bad aspects of our social media use?
WE LOVE FIGHTING
Our love for a good brawl on social media is visible, although most of the time it is about a mundane topic. Some Kenyans could be on their knees online, but still be willing to go another round.
So far, we have told (off) CNN, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the president and more. The list is long, but our brazen approach is, sadly, our folly.
Since crossing Kenya is guaranteed to make you a humiliated trending topic, provoking a Kenyan into an online brawl is easy. In the heat of the fight, our ignorance comes out. Some of us cant even tell which fights are worth it.
WE KILLED ENGLISH
Any English teacher worth his or her salt would kill themselves just by joining social media. In Kenya, English died on social media of some inane tropical disease after spawning an offspring that barely resembles it.
Maybe it is in the heat of the moment, but grammar and social media in Kenya are poles apart. So, what nobody tells us is that while we are busy telling the world off, the world barely comprehends what we are saying.
WE LOVE HATE SPEECH
Indeed, we have fought and won many wars on social media, and anyone fighting with a Kenyan needs to think twice. But when it gets to the most bitter part of the battle, things always take a nasty turn. Hate speech. This is our freedom of expressions Achilles Heel.
There must be an element of hate speech by some Kenyans in any online battle. The disturbing bit is that only few remain anonymous these days.
Two things, however, become apparent. Policing the web in Kenya has failed. Well, we knew that, and that accountability wasnt really a necessity in Kenya.
Some Kenyans struggle to hold their tongue. They openly spew their hate online. The reality that needs to dawn on them is that online is global, and there must be audiences out there who now think the worst of everyone in Kenya.
Locally, hate speech reinforces every stereotype the government and civil society are trying to banish.
WE ARE PROVOCATEURS
Some Kenyans prefer to start the fight, then lean back and watch.
A simple argument becomes a major fight primarily because of trolling.
In Kenya, there is no shortage of trolls. Once they have identified a contentious topic, they get to work, assembling an army of trolls, pouring petrol on the fire, then sitting back to watch the war of words going viral.
It is not unique to Kenyans, but it exists and in some cases, it happens all too often.
Aware of how some Kenyans love to escalate arguments, trolls know how to press each belligerents buttons to ensure that it becomes a war, while creating entertainment for the masses.
Thus, being outspoken on social media is fodder for your enemies.
While it will always be impossible to curb such habits, at the very least, you need to consider your reputation.
Online content spreads faster than print, has an extremely long half-life, and will always be readily available for reference.
Someone tell Kenyans about their bad habits - DN2 - nation.co.ke
For some Kenyans, social media is gold in its purest form, but being outed on that very platform is everyones nightmare. Photo/FILE
By KAHENYA KAMUNYU
[h=3]In Summary[/h]
- Online content spreads faster than print, has an extremely long half-life, and will always be readily available for reference.
We have the freedom to express ourselves on a public forum, where some of us can cajole, argue, and call out anyone we do not like.
For some Kenyans, social media is gold in its purest form, but being outed on that very platform is everyones nightmare.
Social media has a funny way of reaching even the darkest corners of the world, provided there is a human being there.
In Kenya, a city urchin texts a link or even copies a message and sends it to his non-data cousins in the village, and they too remain connected.
The weakest link in social media is not the technology, but the end user, and some people are quickly burning their reputation in a society that no longer distinguishes between online and offline.
So, what are the bad aspects of our social media use?
WE LOVE FIGHTING
Our love for a good brawl on social media is visible, although most of the time it is about a mundane topic. Some Kenyans could be on their knees online, but still be willing to go another round.
So far, we have told (off) CNN, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the president and more. The list is long, but our brazen approach is, sadly, our folly.
Since crossing Kenya is guaranteed to make you a humiliated trending topic, provoking a Kenyan into an online brawl is easy. In the heat of the fight, our ignorance comes out. Some of us cant even tell which fights are worth it.
WE KILLED ENGLISH
Any English teacher worth his or her salt would kill themselves just by joining social media. In Kenya, English died on social media of some inane tropical disease after spawning an offspring that barely resembles it.
Maybe it is in the heat of the moment, but grammar and social media in Kenya are poles apart. So, what nobody tells us is that while we are busy telling the world off, the world barely comprehends what we are saying.
WE LOVE HATE SPEECH
Indeed, we have fought and won many wars on social media, and anyone fighting with a Kenyan needs to think twice. But when it gets to the most bitter part of the battle, things always take a nasty turn. Hate speech. This is our freedom of expressions Achilles Heel.
There must be an element of hate speech by some Kenyans in any online battle. The disturbing bit is that only few remain anonymous these days.
Two things, however, become apparent. Policing the web in Kenya has failed. Well, we knew that, and that accountability wasnt really a necessity in Kenya.
Some Kenyans struggle to hold their tongue. They openly spew their hate online. The reality that needs to dawn on them is that online is global, and there must be audiences out there who now think the worst of everyone in Kenya.
Locally, hate speech reinforces every stereotype the government and civil society are trying to banish.
WE ARE PROVOCATEURS
Some Kenyans prefer to start the fight, then lean back and watch.
A simple argument becomes a major fight primarily because of trolling.
In Kenya, there is no shortage of trolls. Once they have identified a contentious topic, they get to work, assembling an army of trolls, pouring petrol on the fire, then sitting back to watch the war of words going viral.
It is not unique to Kenyans, but it exists and in some cases, it happens all too often.
Aware of how some Kenyans love to escalate arguments, trolls know how to press each belligerents buttons to ensure that it becomes a war, while creating entertainment for the masses.
Thus, being outspoken on social media is fodder for your enemies.
While it will always be impossible to curb such habits, at the very least, you need to consider your reputation.
Online content spreads faster than print, has an extremely long half-life, and will always be readily available for reference.
Someone tell Kenyans about their bad habits - DN2 - nation.co.ke
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