CityPages Kuwait June 2016 Issue June 2016 | Page 44

THINK BEFORE YOU

SPEAK

Gill Sherry
Having enjoyed a successful 30
year career in insurance, Gill
left the UK to move to Kuwait.
She is now a valued member of
the CityPages team where she is
utilizing her editing and writing
skills. In addition to her official
role as Group Editor, Gill also
contributes with regular interviews,
features and reviews.
Instagram: @gsherryq8

44

JUNE, 2016

I was astounded recently when I heard of the
Syrian student deported for making derogatory
comments on a social media site; not because
she was expelled, but because she was silly
enough to post her comments on social media
in the first place. I’m all for free speech but I’m
also an advocate of the phrase ‘if you can’t say
anything good, don’t say anything at all’.
It’s hard to imagine what possessed her to post
such comments in the first place. It wasn’t as though
she was too young to comprehend the gravity and
subsequent consequence of her actions. She was
mature enough to realize that her future would be
destroyed if the deportation order was executed, so
one would assume she was also aware of the basic
behavioral guidelines that apply when it comes to
social media use. It’s easy to plead ignorance after the
event but as we all know, ignorance is no excuse.
Perhaps, as an immigrant, she was unaware of the
strict rules that apply in this proud Gulf state but
from what I believe, she had lived in Kuwait for a
number of years. Certainly long enough to learn of its
culture, expectations and what is, or is not, considered
acceptable.
Regrettably, such comments are an everyday
occurrence on social media. Tempted as I am to share
some of them with you, most are too crude or offensive
to repeat; and certainly a lot worse than those made
by the naïve Syrian student. Unsurprisingly, the more
distasteful, insulting remarks are hidden behind a
private or anonymous account. Clearly these people
don’t want to make the same mistake as she did; finding
themselves in trouble with the authorities for voicing
their controversial opinions. Seemingly, it’s easy to
insult someone when you have no fear of retribution.
Having said that, if the authorities want to find the
source of the defamation, chances are, they will.
The hateful language used to describe a particular
person, their race, or their culture, is shocking.
What makes people think it’s acceptable to use this
vocabulary on a public site? Most children these days
have access to social media and the thought of them
reading this disgusting content is disconcerting to say
the least.
But it’s not just about race. The comments posted
about football players, actresses, singers and so on,
are equally inappropriate. What’s the point? What do
people expect to gain by flooding social media with
obscenities? And the question has to be asked, why are
you following them if you don’t even like them?
The use of social media has clearly gone beyond the
simple act of social sharing. It was originally created
to facilitate the development of online social networks
by connecting a user’s profile with those of other users,
be they individuals or groups. However, its use has
escalated way beyond ‘friendship’. It is now a vital
tool for businesses and is used to build reputation,
advertise career opportunities and increase sales and

income.
But even using the original, intended purpose of
social media (to create a highly interactive platform
through which individuals and communities share and
discuss user-generated content) there is still no room
for prejudicial profanities. From my own personal
point of view, my limited use of social media exists
purely as a record of my Middle East experience and
certainly not as a platform for criticism, complaints
and controversies.
It’s important to remember that the written word
lacks the benefit of any accompanying tone of voice or
body language. This was a problem long before social
media even existed, with words being misinterpreted
by e-mail, text message or even in a good old fashioned
hand-written letter. Admittedly, the message can be
softened with the use of an emoji or two but it’s still
tricky to convey the exact meaning without actually
saying it in person. A comment written in jest can quite
easily be read as aggressive, insulting or at the very
least, humourless.
Of course, we all use social media for different reasons
and I have no intention of dictating what it should
or shouldn’t be used for. Everyone’s perception of
how it should be used is different. Some simply use
it as a photographic journal, others to impress their
social network and others to grow their business.
However, lessons can surely be learned regarding
what’s appropriate and what’s not. The problem is, not
everyone’s moral compass is the same.
There’s no doubt the disgraced Syrian student meant no
harm. One could argue that her comments were taken
out of context and that maybe, it was just an innocent
mistake. However, her case is a perfect example of
how comments can be misconstrued. They may have
been inappropriate but I doubt they were maliciously
intended. Unfortunately, as we all know, once words
are spoken you can’t take them back. Perhaps we
should all remember to think before we speak, not only
when conversing but also when posting. There’s a clue
in the title; it’s not called anti-social media, after all.