Letters: Digital Malady

Dear friend, 

I have been postponing writing this letter since Saturday, and here I am, a few minutes away from Wednesday, writing to you.

Don't blame me much; I just had work at my desk.

There's something I see online that I often wonder why people do so.

It's very fun to engage in for many until the tables turn and they are on the receiving end.

You know, social media is quite powerful, but at the same time, it makes people stupid.

There's this act people love engaging in, and it's called ‘dragging’.

Hmmm…

You see, I have thought about this, pondered it, and noticed that this act is like a drug. Its immediate effect is sharp and sweet. But in the long run, it inflicts unknown harm to the person who engages in it.

“The internet never forgets.” 

What is the internet? Set aside the computer science definition; it's you and I.

We stay with our gadgets, digging and stalking; as if that's not enough, we publish our sham and mudanme research on the timeline of our various internet pages.

Stay away from dragging people online. It's a slow poison.

But do you even know what it means to drag someone online?

• You comment on any derogatory post or tweet about them.

• You share, react, or republish any controversial post about them.

Those acts are for children. 

“When I was a child, I acted like one; now that I am grown up, I should act like an Adult.”

Even if there's a 101% chance that they did something wrong, stay clear of dragging them. 

You never can tell. When building your brand, know the types of sand and bricks you use.

In haste to get tons of followers, stay away from anything controversial, unless you have the influence to dissolve it at will.

It's just unfortunate that many people don't realize that the way someone thought 3 years ago will be different from how they think now, and when they make contradictory posts about their past and seem daft, daft netizens rush to drag.

I've seen this, and I warn you: stay away from it.

Celebrity gist is not for you. Well, you can relax your brain with it... if that is what you want...

But get this! Avoid dragging!

Rooting for you, and I hope you too are rooting for me!

In Igbo, Udo.

Best Regards,

Joseph Chisom Ofonagoro.

Till I write next, Goodbye! Well… you can also tell others about this letter.