A world where people always want to be who they are not online is where people can go to the extreme to protect their fake life. If you use X (formerly Twitter) frequently, you won't be surprised to see this topic from the Hive Learners weekly prompt because it is someone who is always dragging someone to court online.
We heard of Burna Boy and Speed Darlington. I was strolling through the streets of X and I saw a lawsuit against another person just because he reposted one of her old tweets (even though it was out of context) and she sued him for name defamation. The most popular one online now is Kene an Anambra man who married someone the public didn't accept then they dragged him twice and I'm guessing that one day, he show up will a lawsuit letter for one of them. A lot more have been happening some more severe than the other and some were done to call them out and not ruin their names but the way the other party took it is extreme like the case of Chioma Okoli and Erisco.
Before we can go into whether it is okay for someone to take legal action or not, the first thing you need to find out I the motive. Most times, these people online slander people's names simply because of engagement and to feel important. Twitter is the most common place for that (if you don't have the mind, please restrict your interactions there) mostly because of the pay they get from engagements and others. What they do is they find a famous person and either create a false story or twist one of their posts online just to feed their need.
Another reason why people call out someone is if the person does something bad and they don't like it or their services. Most times, you see people calling out service providers, commercial institutions, product manufacturers, and others. To me, I feel since you are providing a service to the public, then you should give a standard or you will be called out because they are paying for those services you are rendering.
Now, should taking legal action be okay?
Yes, taking legal action for someone slandering my name online is something I will do simply because some people are just stupid and I am very petty. Also, I will keep my life personal and avoid the public eyes but you see those that will still go and draw me for what I either did or not without coming to me first in the DMs will receive what comes to them.
WHY?
In one of the weekly prompts, we were asked to write about whether it is okay for one to drop their social media IDs during interviews. A lot of responses came in (sadly, I couldn't meet up) but my response to that is "Your actions online show the world the kind of person you are". So now imagine someone dragging you foolishly, then they will explain well in court just like the way The Falanas took VDM to court and everything happened and was settled there.
I support legal actions but what I do not support is misuse of power. Just because you are high up in the food chain doesn't mean that nobody can talk to you. Any small thing, you have involved the police to go carry them detaining them in prison for weeks upon weeks. That is no longer democracy but Anarchy. I am happy that we have lawyers that take up cases like that and one fun thing about social media is that if you decide to cut off one head, severe will grow back in its place and they will draw your life.
So guys, in as much as you want to speak against someone online thinking that you are protected, trust me you aren't. With the right amount and resources, you can be found. So, if you have something to say online about someone, always back it up with evidence or "you gonna learn the hard way"😅. But there are sometimes you should just ignore because they want to use you to trend and feel relevant
As for me, if I see something I don't agree with, I take a screenshot and go to my WhatsApp and complain all I want there because Twitter doesn't forget.
This is my response to the Hive Learners' prompt on "The Hate You Get"
