IT could be a major boost for your public image and your reputation … or it could be the stuff of nightmares.
It can turn your little known or new product or niche service from anonymity to being an overnight success or a runaway sensation.
That’s what going viral and its effects is like in today’s fast and furious social media – be it on your WhatsApp chat group, Facebook, Instagram or what have you.
As recently as last week, a Kuching businessman found instant fame and notoriety throughout these parts on WhatsApp and Facebook. Apparently a viral video clip of him physically ‘disciplining his abusive son-in-law’ had been featured on television news as far away as Taiwan; and was on news portals throughout Malaysia and Singapore!
What the angry father had done was to teach his son-in-law a lesson by bashing him out on the streets along a quiet (but not totally secluded) area of town – and it was all caught on video (which appeared to be filmed by a companion.) The son-in-law in question had apparently been abusive and neglectful of his wife, the man’s daughter.
Viral video clips and gossipy news of this nature attracts and appeals to the base animal instincts of viewers and recipients of such content are swift to share it with family and friends. There is little or no consideration for the involved parties’ personal privacy issues, of ethics or thought of any possible damage or harm that such further sharing could cause.
The effects of such viral videos could be devastating.
Cases of bullying, of abusive behaviour and of bad treatment on the filmed party has led to the subject’s withdrawal from the public eye, or a sense of shame and guilt – in the worst case scenario even leading to contemplation of suicide!
To those who receive such viral posts, for them it’s an easy click or a tab on a button or keypad to send it on its way – to a friend, some family member or even a chatgroup – on WhatsApp or on Facebook. The perpetrator usually doesn’t give it even a momentary thought or to ask himself – is this video true or concocted and could I be doing any further harm or causing more distress? What about the other person’s interest or point of view or his side of the story?
There are always two sides of any issue – what if we’re only been shown and told about one side – the side of the person who happens to be more internet or WhatsApp savvy? Is there a hidden motive or agenda? Could it be someone trying to slander or spread negative stories – could it be an act of revenge, business rivalry or jealousy or just a personal vendetta? There are a hundred and one possibilities.
In an ideal world what we should be seeing as viral videos and messages should be news, views and stories of real news – of new breakthroughs – in the various fields of medicine, agriculture, entertainment, food and drink, culture and art, etc.
We should be told of the various happenings, events, leaders at communal gatherings, success stories, feel good stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, launches and openings of businesses, new places of interest – to visit, to tour, to dine and to be entertained.
There are so many positive news, events, happenings and opportunities that boggle the mind. But most of the time, what usually goes viral and is of interest to the man in the street is just simple gossip, bad news or some accident or human frailty, failing or jeopardy. Are we just such easy to please and basic creatures after all?
On the positive side, we must support and uphold the many good points and the tumultuous changes we have witnessed from many of the viral postings we received in the past 3 to 4 years.
Without these viral news, views and videos created during the build up to the 14th General Elections on 9th May 2018 it is doubtful if Malaysia would have seen the upset results which had brought the Pakatan Harapan government to power through such a strong swing in the votes cast for them at the ballot box.
Had it not been due to the repressive, regressive, corrupt and unethical misgovernance of the previous Barisan National government the citizens and voters of Malaysia would not have taken up cyber arms and with the tools and support of the independent multi-media groups coupled with a fast growing electronic and digital industry – they had managed to produce and spread its aggressive and myriad anti-BN government messages and stories of wrong doings and cover-ups to as wide an audience as available.
In turn all these stories and self-produced videos have been spread, most of them had gone viral to thousands and possibly millions within minutes … as far and as wide as the telecommunication service and bandwidth had permitted … even unto the padi fields, the longhouses, the vegetable farms and the far reaches of the interior and the most remote abodes reachable by the internet.
To say that these viral videos and messages had made the difference in the change of government of May 9th in Malaysia is an understatement.
Would we see a repeat of this in our fair land Sarawak come the State Elections of 2021? I daresay that the difference would depend very much on what happens between now and then and whether our present GPS state government can and will show its ability and willingness to shrug off the BN shackles; the bad habits and poor governance of the old BN regime and replace it very quickly with a real and sincere “government of the people, for the people and with the people”. We need a newer approach, a better way to treat our own people who have suffered in so many ways under the BN regime – let’s see how our ‘new’ state government GPS will spend its massive treasury built up over the years of RM31 billion in the two years ahead.
The citizens, the voters and the next generation of young Sarawakians are still hopeful, trusting and very loyal to our very own Sarawak sons and daughters who were elected to the DUN as well as those in the federal Parliament on both sides of the political divide.
Please do not fail us: make full use of these two years left. Otherwise there’s no guarantee for the next five.