By Rezzmah Alicia Khadrawy
It is undeniable that social networking sites have taken FEU students by storm.
Youth individuals morphed into Netizens (Internet Citizens) flocked the cyber arena, giving away their very own piece of privacy.
As internet surfing entitles users with activities such as posting blogs, playing games and answering quizzes, more or less every three hours a day, what could be a more exact definition of the word addiction?
Freedom Walls Online
Social networking sites have become canvasses of self-expression by users. With a simple click, one can easily update his status on social-networking sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Friendster, Multiply, MySpace, Formspring.me and Twitter. Applications and blog features are easily accessible to those who are bored with checking out their friends profiles and updating his own.
Aside from being a means of self-expression, social networking sites are useful in ways of communicating with one’s friends and loved ones abroad or living in other parts of the country. Through this, one can also meet new people and widen his circle of friends. “Libangan, communication sa mga friends at tita ko sa ibang bansa, pati na rin sa kapatid ko. Mas mura kasi ‘pag online na lang. Wala pa masyadong hassles, kasi kapag tumawag ka, mahal na nga, choppy pa. (I use Facebook for fun and to contact my friends and relatives abroad because it is cheaper. It has lesser hassles because if I call them, it’s not just expensive, it’s also choppy),”
Freedom is bestowed upon online users since rules and regulations of posting are not really implemented. “Wala ka na rin namang pakialam sa kung anu man ang isulat nila or i-post dun kasi account naman nila yun e. Personal nilang opinion yun, (You don’t really have a say on one’s post on his profile because it’s their account. It’s their personal opinion),” says Mara Dawn Crosos, second year AB Political Science student.
Used and abused?
Twenty students were randomly asked by the FEU Advocate if they read Terms of Services and Agreements of social networking sites upon registration.
Ironically 0 out of 20 answered they did not read the terms. Majority of the group answered that they viewed it but didn’t actually read it. “Hindi ko siya talaga binasa parang pahapyaw lang kasi parang wala lang naman e (I didn’t really read it, I just skimmed through because it looks like it’s just nothing),” says Larla Capili, first year BS Nursing student.
The Terms of Services and Agreement contain the rules within the site you registered in. Since most people do not really read these terms it can be said that most users in social networking sites are not aware of the conditions and consequences of online posting.
According to Office of Students Affairs and Community Services (OSACS) Dean Adelaida Fronda, no rules controlling students with their blog posts are on the students’ handbook and that the issue is a little premature since even the congress hasn’t passed any laws concerning this issue yet. She also stated that the students’ blogs are limited to themselves unless their issues affect the whole school.
As for Facebook, users are not allowed to post anything that would it verbally degrade another person as stated in its Terms of Services and Agreement: “You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else’s rights or otherwise violates the law,” A violation of this rule will constitute to the removal of the content nevertheless, the suspension of the user’s account is not included.
Unconsciously jailed
“No one has the right to say that he can do whatever he wants to do because he lives in the context of a society and in a society, there are rules to be followed in order to achieve social order,” Mass Communication professor, Joeven Castro, stated in an interview with the FEU Advocate.
Considering what he said, if an online user claims that it’s his own prerogative to post whatever he wants to in his profile, he also should claim the responsibilities and consequences that goes with his freedom of speech. And since these social networking sites are mini-virtual societies, a user should uphold social order.
He also stated, “For us FEU students and other members of the FEU family, we always remember that, once an FEU always an FEU wherever you may go and a taint that happens online can change your image as an FEU student. Would you want that to happen?”. Taking this into thought, as an online user, one should always think about others who might be affected with their own state of mind. As an FEU student, think about how deep is your “institutional affiliation”, borrowing the words of Castro. Take into consideration the fact that there are over 20,000 FEU students and not everyone may share your sentiments.
He also said this, when asked if the web is an avenue to open sensitive discussions, “If all parties are willing to engage online then my answer is yes. But if participants of the discussion are unwilling to join, then my answer is no. The reason being is that the unwilling participant has no chance to defend his side. I think that any issue should be settled by both parties if the issue is properly contextualized because not all who can read the post are directly involved, so why should they know it in the first place if they are not part of the resolution process?” Bearing this in mind, one can correlate this with violation of privacy. If, for example, there are two persons who had a disagreement, then one posts something about the other without his consent that is considered as violation of that person’s privacy. And when one posts his sentiment online, it will attract others to post their own comments and sympathies, but, at the end of the day, the problem still remains unsolved.
From Spiderman’s famous line, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and freedom of speech is power itself that we individuals are entitled of. One must learn to use the power of their freedom of speech judiciously, because what would happen to the world lest man’s freedom to speak be taken away from him because of imprudence?