The menace of social media

ONE needs to express some sympathy with Ngwelezana Ward 28 Councillor Madlinyoka Ntanzi - the latest innocent victim of the social media phenomenon.

A 46-second video recorded on a cellphone during a Christmas party for seniors at the Empangeni Civic Centre in December, showing Ntanzi ordering a 67-year-old woman to leave the function during a heated altercation, went viral.

What made matters worse for the councillor was that the woman then opened a case of ‘intimidation’ at the Empangeni police station.

Viewing the online video in isolation and the incident becoming a police matter, inevitably paints Councillor Ntanzi as a heartless public servant hitting on a defenceless elderly woman.

The problem with many such social media postings is that viewers are mostly not presented with the context of what happened before incidents are shotgunned into cyberspace - and then every man and his dog see it fit to add their uninformed snide remarks, which are more often than not hurtful to the character of the person featured (the schadenfreude principle).

So, what was the context in this specific case?

The Zululand Observer established that:

• The woman was an uninvited guest, something she conceded. ‘To be

Gatecrasher

In essence she was a gatecrasher ignoring the initial reasonable request to leave the function.

Yet, while the councillor had every right to refuse her entry and be upset with her persistance, he unfairly emerged as the villain.

Herein lies a lesson for all of us, but especially those who move or work in the public eye - with modern technology, smartphone cameras are everywhere and it is a menace.

The police, for example, have a hard time of it.

SAPS spokesperson Mbongeni Mdlalose summed it up perfectly at a recent Empangeni crime meeting.

Police have to react quickly and often with force in volatile situations, but don’t get the opportunity to explain themselves when the public are quick take to the social media reflecting only one side of the story.

‘Once something like that goes viral, officers simply doing their duty often face suspension because of public pressure. Little attention is given to the context of the incident. It is extremely demotivating,’ Mdlalose said.

The problem with social media is that there is little consequence for people who post slanderous material.

If similar texts, photographs or videos are published or streamed by the formal media, they will quickly face serious lawsuits or be disciplined by the SA Press Council, under whose codes the media work.

The public will not selfregulate and until such time as a way can be found to hold social media miscreants responsible, more innocent people will suffer.

In the meantime, be careful out there - you may find yourself on candid camera.