Cruise control

 So I kept rummaging through posts and replies to Dr Chinelo's plea for prayers on twitter and I wondered what my reply might have been had I happened upon it. We're quick to judge the ones who seemingly are "terrible souls" for trolling her, and while I can't quite say they should totally be exonerated, it is what our social media spaces have become - it's often called catching cruise.

Been a minute and then some huh, welcome to the blog my lovelies.

Firstly my heart goes out to all those who were victims someway somehow of the unfortunate incident on the Kaduna - Abuja rail tracks, I can't begin to imagine the trauma, may God give you his peace that surpasses all understanding. Those who died, our hope is that they knew their God and that right now they're in a better place, because we're at a point where anywhere but here really silts our souls.

To the crux of the matter, I'm known to tell people that if you cannot muster a kind word to say, say nothing, but, social media is a free space, where any and everybody unfortunately, has the right to speech. So people tend to go overboard, just as it is with having freewill, we often abuse it. But why? Why do we feel the need to go all out and be cruel? Why can we not bridle our fingers? Why does the need to catch cruise overpower your sense of humanity?
It was easier to deal with bullies when we could physically see them, then maybe we'd avoid them. But, the advent of social media rooms and spaces gave a new light to bullying and it is now well sutured into our DNA.

Who's in charge of "cruise - control?"
Who deals with bullies for us?  Who's to dilute the misinformation or outrightly eradicate it? When does the clamour for clout and deceit end? I can't help but think of all the times I've looked through troll statements and laughed, I too am guilty, my inaction didn't help. Maybe I was scared to get trolled too, maybe I found the humor in what was said, maybe I was just indifferent to the situation of things, but if we're being honest, in one way or the other we've all indulged.

I still cannot honestly tell you what my reply to her tweet might have been, and if I may add, I'm going to blatantly stop trying to torture myself about that, but I can tell you what my next reply would be, a kind word, an understanding remark, a firm word to a troll (not insulting or instigating violence), and quite frankly using my platform to create a change in what little way I can.

Leave Woye, Mama Poverty and their likes alone, stop reigning curses on them, you're not God, leave them to what their fate is because two wrongs can never make a right. In all thy ways though, in your own space, with your platform, do what you must to be the one in charge of cruise - control, before you retweet or quote tweet please verify the information, before you judge, ground yourself in facts, before you utter an unkind word, remember Chinelo.