Care before you share

Sharing is caring, we are told right from our toddler days when we learn to socialize with our kids our age. We part with our chocolates and gain some chips or biscuits or some other treat. As we grow older, it turns to other things - books, CDs, etc which hold value to ourselves and our friends. When we know something is great we are always excited to share it and double the excitement. On the other hand, when it's detrimental, we politely advise our friends that it is not worth it and move on. This is real life.

In #socialmedia, we rant and rave about it. Our friends listen to our opinion and offer sympathy and sometimes even pass it on without fact-checking due to their immense trust in us. While this is vital from a friendship point of view, it would be more responsible if we spend time investigating the matter and coming to our own conclusion rather than just forwarding. We might be contributing to the fake news nuisance that has been plaguing social media platforms.

Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp all have their mechanisms to weed out fake news spread this way. But as users, we have a responsibility to check whether the information we receive is a fact and is worth passing on. All we desire is empathy and a little guidance on what next. Let's do that with less of a hullabaloo. The world will be happier for it. Let's learn to care more than share.
#ConnectAndEngage