Child's Play Now Unfolds Online: Thai Opinion

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Child's play now unfolds online

Social media outlets demonstrate powerfully the law of unintended consequences - for good or bad

BANGKOK: -- In this era of social media overdrive, even publicity-shy ordinary citizens have no place to hide. They can become a household name overnight, willingly or not. It's as simple as that. Ask one Angkana Sabangban. Yes, THAT teacher you have been hearing so much about over the past few days and who must still be wondering what on earth is going on.

Should we be happy that even a little boy now realises the power of online media? The child, upset by friends who shut him out of a Facebook group, vented his frustration in a video clip and broadcast it. "If you don't bring me back to the 1/9 forum, teacher Angkana will definitely find out about this," he warned his peers. The rest, as they say, is history.

A crazy trend started. Everyone, when he or she was not happy with something, threatened to "bring it to teacher Angkana". Countless response videos have been made. The boy was asked to do more clips. Newspapers and TV stations sent reporters to interview the poor teacher, who looked obviously dazed by what happened.

Or should we be a little bit concerned? Social media outlets do empower the previously voiceless. No longer do people have to go to newspapers and try to sell their grievances. A video clip like the boy's can be more effective than 5 national dailies combined. You never know. Problem is, social media is an anything-goes market - truth, lies, real human dramas or character assassination.

Recently, it was the ex-wife of popular singer Sek Loso. Then it was the star artist himself, who was forced to respond to her charges of drug abuse, child abandonment and physical assault. After that it was former actress Saitarn Niyomkarn, followed by her boyfriend, accusing each other of physical attacks.

Last year, a very well-known actress-singer became a victim of a very nasty video leak. Before that, an audio clip was spread to highlight a tug of war over a child belonging to a female celebrity and her estranged husband.

All of these cases spread like wildfire through the social media, just like those who first uploaded the contents had intended.

We had all clamoured for the traditional media to be "responsible." Then social media came along and we hailed its "democratisation" and impact. The effects on the accused or "victims" have been largely excused as transitional fallout of the fast, free flow of information. The system will eventually correct itself, social media advocates believe.

By most indications, the day of self-correcting should come, sooner or later. But for now, the boy who posted the "Teacher Angkana" clip has become some sort of a little hero. The friends whom he attacked were largely faceless and you can be forgiven if, in your head, you conjure them up as little villains. All in all, it's a cute little story of boys and Facebook. Problem is, not everyone using social media outlets is innocent.

Facebook is known to have caused countless break-ups in Thailand - a phenomenon that had wrecked families in the West earlier. Being a Facebook generation member carries great responsibilities, one of which requires us to be "fair" toward those with whom we have issues. As things stand now, how can we be "fair" toward anybody if we can't really predict the consequences of our online action?

We go online to seek support, to show off, to share, to vent our anger, to promote our ideas, and to attack our "enemies". While social media can help us fulfil our noble purposes really quickly, malicious goals can also be achieved just as fast. And one thing that a lot of people don't seem to think about is that while we can retract content on most social media outlets, those on the wrong end of our action can be left with indelible scars. An accusation can be shared a thousand times. A correction, on the other hand, rarely gets the same number of views.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

[anterian]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

[prefabs]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

For what reason? I respect your having point of view, but wonder how you came to this decision? Or did you just feel like saying something?

[siampolee]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

anterian post #2.

Why would you do that I ask ?.

Do you have a divine right to censor my choices as well as other peoples choices. ?

Edited April 16, 2012 by siampolee

[phiphidon]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

For what reason? I respect your having point of view, but wonder how you came to this decision? Or did you just feel like saying something?

For example are you happy that some companies are demanding access to a facebook account at interview stage?

[anterian]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

For what reason? I respect your having point of view, but wonder how you came to this decision? Or did you just feel like saying something?

There are probably ways of personalising FB but they don't seem adequate. I have turned off everything I can find and I still get daily requests from unknown people asking me to add them. I originally joined to please my daughters, I now seem stuck with a growing crowd of their friends and friends of friends. Frankly I just don't see the point of it, email satisfies my needs. Perhaps I'm just a Luddite.

[anterian]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

anterian post #2.

Why would you do that I ask ?.

Do you have a divine right to censor my choices as well as other peoples choices. ?

A typical over reaction! Perhaps you did not really understand my comment.

[siampolee]

You stated outright you would ban (it) facebook . Yes or No ?

Perchance anterian if that was your attempt at humour i would advise you not to seek a second career in the comedy field.

My F.B. A/C has the content I want on it , I have no guilty secrets. Let's be honest, in truth the internet is about as secure as a wet tissue.

Whatever you post is there for all who care to seek it.

[toybits]

Moderated forums are better than Facebook. With Facebook, there is no moderation. I have experienced a person being bombarded with nasty facebook messages. Until, I stepped in, the cyber-bullying continued. In only stopped when I told them I would let authorities (like "Kruh Angkana" only bigger) know about what they were doing. Sometimes - that is the only way to stop the bullying.

[ThommoPerth]

Facebook has become a way of life, live with it or ban it. I would ban it.

If you don't like it don't go on it.

People should only put on it what they fell comfortable, not evry thing, some of the personal stuff I see on there I can not believe some people are stupid enough to post. But that is whar freedom of choice is all about.

[toybits]

This case about the child complaining and threatening to spill the beans to Kruh Angkana is only the tip of the iceberg. A lot more bullying happens on the school grounds. It only spilled into the internet because that is where most kids hangout today. I am really not surprised to see this. It is merely a new medium in which kids express their nastiness.

[silsburyhill]

Moderated forums are better than Facebook. With Facebook, there is no moderation. I have experienced a person being bombarded with nasty facebook messages. Until, I stepped in, the cyber-bullying continued. In only stopped when I told them I would let authorities (like "Kruh Angkana" only bigger) know about what they were doing. Sometimes - that is the only way to stop the bullying.

Orrrr, just delete your account 'forever' (I think FB use that as a 'threat', No, we won't let you back!') GOOD!

Simple enough.

Edited April 16, 2012 by silsburyhill

[anterian]

You stated outright you would ban (it) facebook . Yes or No ?

Perchance anterian if that was your attempt at humour i would advise you not to seek a second career in the comedy field.

My F.B. A/C has the content I want on it , I have no guilty secrets. Let's be honest, in truth the internet is about as secure as a wet tissue.

Whatever you post is there for all who care to seek it.

No it was not an attempt at humour, it was just my personal opinion, which I believe I am entitled to have.

Yes, you can control what you put on it, you cannot control what other's put on it about yourself. Many FB "friends" seem to lack discretion and commonsense. Like most sensible people I prefer to remain anonymous on the Internet, difficult when one's daughter on FB post pictures under her real name of the family.

[toybits]

Moderated fora guarantees everyone behaves. Violators of civil behavior would be booted out of the forum.

With the Facebook free-for-all, nothing of this sort ever happens. People shot everyone they can. I just shows how humans can be so "Inhuman" when they think there is nobody to inhibit them and their offending and nasty comments.

Unfortunately, not everyone on Facebook is Mature or conscientious about the comments they make. Anonymity is their shield.

'Moderated' being a euphemism for censored, particularly on at least one trigger happy 'mod' on here.

Edited April 16, 2012 by toybits

[toybits]

There is also a need to protect the youth from perverts and criminals on cyberspace. That is why IMHO, moderation is needed.

[bigbamboo]

Ah, internet censorship, where finally the parents have to take responsibility for their own children. The internet is out there like the real world and kids need to be protected from it's bad side.

No more blaming the teachers or the government......... now it's down to the parents to do what they are supposed to do, take care of their own children.

[mayday49]

Social networks actually perpetuate the waste vast amounts of electrical energy.........

[metisdead]

Comments on moderation issues have been removed.

If you have a problem with moderation issues, send an email to: support at thaivisa.com

[Traxster]

Personally.......I wouldn't touch Facebook or Twitter or any of them with the proverbial 'ten foot pole'.

[OzMick]

I have an a/c and have had a couple of old friends make contact. But the whole FB thing seems petty and annoying, with endless "friend" requests and suggestions, most from strangers and 2 suggestions for former friends now DEAD but which re-appear regularly. There seems to be no way to have their a/c closed by me as an ex- casual acquaintance.

With time, I expect this to happen more often as FB a/c's seem eternal.