Intolerance on social media is
becoming much serious phenomena in Pakistani society. Its not only religious or
ideological intolerance which is affecting the society badly but I think of a
general intolerance on political and personal views blatantly expressed on the
social media and Social forums, more especially Twitter and Facebook, discussion
groups, WhatsApp groups etc, are a living example of this.
At this point, I will not focus on the political parties of the country and its
leaders whose prime agenda is just to pursue self-promotion and running down of
others.
The focus is the people not so affiliated, who nonetheless descend to a level
one cannot associate with those hailing from backgrounds imbibing good breeding
in their offspring. Difference of views is one thing, argument within parameters
is another thing but using hate speech and slanderous words another thing
altogether. The reason for such pathetic exchanges can be of any kind; like
views against a favored political leader, views against a section of society or
a personality clash. It can also be a personal problem, wrong timing to be on
your laptop or a phone in your hand when an opinion or view comes that is
opposed to yours — and it becomes a venting point and beginning of a match that
can only shame the participants if they give themselves time to read what they
write. This they do not do. Do such ignoble realize the public at large is
reading the verbal diarrhea being unleashed and the impression it creates of the
participants? Not only a ‘common man’ but also well-known public figures hailing
from different fields in life are perpetuators of this ignoble conduct. This
includes people from left, right and moderates as well.
Whereas social media forums should be springboards of healthy discussions, open
exchange of views on important issues and solution based result oriented,
constructive way-forward dialogue, more and more they are regressing into an
extension of the problem called intolerance afflicting the Pakistani society.
“Fifty percent of the users access the internet on their phones, and with over a
hundred million mobile phone subscriptions in the country, the fifth highest in
Asia, the number seems likely to keep up a rapid growth as cell phone companies
offer more and more attractive net packages. A youthful population, the huge
popularity of social media and the extraordinary pace at which it permits
information to be disseminated makes it an immensely popular tool.
Social media can be used to bridge polarisation, something mainstream media in
Pakistan has failed to achieve, generally speaking. It can help create a new
social reality. Unfortunately, social media practitioners are not an island in
themselves, they are members of the society. A society riddled with biases,
intolerance, sarcasm, hatred and general abusive behaviour. Of course there are
many who will not subscribe to this code of behaviour (or code of misbehaviour
would be a more apt term) but the numbers of not indulging in verbal spats are
dwindling slowly but surely. In their blocked frame of minds, they do not really
read what is written by the other, their mind is more focused on how to respond
in as caustic a manner and as quickly as possible.
Individual frustration is pretty much clear of this intolerant behavior, but
should this frustration be projected onto those one engages with on social
forums? This is a question yet to be answered.
Social media has offered an alternate platform to the common man to interact
with public figures, offer and solicit views, build social activism for a cause,
support what they feel is good. Infecting social media with individual
frustrations and failings is taking this forum down, with them.
Many indulging in such ignoble behaviour may not even realise how they expose
themselves. Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, a Russian novelist, dramatist and
historian, notes, “It’s a universal law — intolerance is the first sign of an
inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience,
whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”
Human behavior is also reflective of one’s background and upbringing. Let me
offer an example to explain my point better. I come from a world where men are
supposed to stand up if a woman enters a room, where they are supposed to open
the door and step back to allow her to precede him from the room, where the man
will open the door of the car for her and ensure she’s comfortably seated before
he sits in the car, if accompanying her, where on the dining table he will never
help himself before the ladies have helped themselves. Though this example may
be gender related, it is used to state that men, who are gentlemen (not all are
hence I differentiate between the two terms) will not allow themselves to
indulge in verbal diarrhoea, especially in the public eye. Neither will women if
they are ladies.
“A saint who was visiting river Ganges to take a bath found a group of family
members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other.
He turned to his disciples, smiled and asked,
‘Why do people shout at each other when they are angry?’
The followers thought for a while.
Then one of them said,
‘Because we lose our peacefulness, we shout.’
‘But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as
well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner,’ asked the saint.
Followers gave some other answers but none satisfied the other followers.
Finally, the saint explained,
‘When two people are angry at each other,
their hearts distance a lot.
To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.
The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to
cover that great distance.
What happens when two people fall in love?
They don’t shout at each other but talk softly,
Because their hearts are very close.
The distance between them is either non-existent or very small…’
The saint continued;
‘When they love each other even more, what happens?
They do not speak, they only whisper and they get even closer to each other in
their love. Finally, they even need not whisper, they only look at each other
and that’s all.
That is how close two people are when they love each other.’
He looked at his followers and said:
‘So, when you argue do not let your hearts get distant.
Do not say words that distance each other more,
Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not
find the path to return.’