Imagine this:
You’re a dad and you want to take a selfie with a cut out Darth Vader figure to send to your kids, who happen to be Star Wars fans. Not the craziest idea, right? I mean, I’ve certainly done something similar, being mom to a 7-year old who is a huge Star Wars fan.
Well, it went horribly wrong.
Before he took the selfie, he talked to some kids nearby (he thought they were lining up to take a picture as well, but there were no adults present) to tell them he only wanted to take a selfie and would be gone in a minute. The kids’ mom saw him talk to her kids, jumped to conclusions, took his picture and then it went downhill pretty fast. She posted a nasty message on Facebook with the picture, accusing the man of being a pedophile.
Her Facebook message spread like wildfire and it didn’t take long for friends to identify him. The man was mortified of course and did the smart thing: he contacted the cops who did their due diligence and cleared him from any wrong doing.
Now people turned on the woman who had posted the picture and the rather inflammatory message. She withdrew it quickly of course and apologized for her actions, saying she made a stupid mistake by taking it to social media rather than to the police. The man is apparently considering legal measures, as his reputation has been badly damaged because of all this.
Allegedly
Here’s the thing. I see messages like what this woman posted on a regular basis. And worse. Sensationalist warnings about identity theft, pedophiles, people who poison your cat, steal your puppy, rob you blind.
I get it. Bad things happen. My neighbor was the victim of identity theft a while back and recently a dog was stolen in our neighborhood. There are bad people out there for sure.
That doesn’t mean we should crucify people on social media without any proof though. Just because someone says something, that doesn’t make it the truth. There’s a reason why ‘innocent till proven guilty’ is a solid base for the American legal system.
There’s a crucial word anyone who watches cop shows or legal series is familiar with. Allegedly. Keep that in mind the next time someone posts a rousing message on social media about what some bad guy or woman did.
Allegedly.
The woman was to blame for posting the picture of the guy and her nasty insinuations without any proof whatsoever. But all her friends who liked and shared it share in the guilt. Don’t let the sensationalist nature of social media become all the proof you need. Think before you like and share stuff like that.
Because for all you know, it was just a dad trying to take a Darth Vader selfie for his kids.
How do you respond to posts like that?
[via Mashable]
Jared M says
It’s kind of an endless spiral, isn’t it? This lady has obviously read too many posts that may or may not be true about kids being approached by pedophiles and creepers. She responded out of that and naturally took to social media to warn everyone.
And if it’s on the internet, it must be true.
Rachel Blom says
That last sentence made me laugh, then cringe. It has sadly become the truth for many people.
Brodie says
“It has sadly become the truth for many people.”
..because they read it on the Internet. 😀
Karen says
It says everything about taking responsibility. It’s so easy to blame and shame someone with pictures on the internet because you think he’s a creep but it’s very hard to walk over and speak to the man to ask him what he is doing. If she had done just that, it would have saved everyone a world of embarrassment. It seems to become a trend that people are avoiding real responsibility and have come to think that just posting a picture on the internet asking for attention is the same as taking responsibility or even taking action. An earthquake in Nepal? Let’s like a picture on Facebook to show my commitment. Suspect a Paedophile in the neighbourhood? Let’s post pictures of suspicious people on Facebook. Hunger in Africa? Let’s like a sad picture of a poor child sitting in the dirt. That’s not commitment and that’s not responsibility. If you want to actually make sure this world is indeed a safer and better place for your children, you need to step up and take responsibility. Speak to the guy who looks out of place, Ask someone who looks lost if you can help. Give the homeless guy a sandwich. Donate money to a good cause. Help out in your local community and do something instead of posting a picture or liking a post.
Rachel Blom says
Amen. Couldn’t agree more!
Eric Dye says
I think the Internet is an accelerator and it cuts both ways. In this case, it accelerated fear and stupidity(?).
Rachel Blom says
Word.
Chandos says
I don’t know that I agree. As a parent, I completely understand her frustration and fear. If I see a middle aged man talking to my kids when I’m not nearby and then takes a picture…you bet your butt I’m gonna be concerned.
Did she handle it in the best way….no. But I think she was right contacting the police. How often do predators continue to prey on kids because people make assumptions? Mistakes were made…but imagine if the scenario were flipped. If her post had caught a bad guy, she’d be getting heaps of praise instead of being shamed.
All in all, she made a mistake, and thankfully, the guy’s not a total creep.
Carl says
if she had simply contacted the police, I could see it as perhaps appropriate concern. But to takes picture and post on social media with the inflammatory commentary is irresponsible and unacceptable.
Jared M says
I’m a youth/children’s pastor. I talk to kids and teenagers all of the time. I hate that I constantly have to live in fear that someone might assume I have wrong intentions. My intentions are just that I love kids and want to make them smile. See, even that sounds weird because of the culture we live in.
Rachel Blom says
I’m with you Jared as a fellow youth pastor! I understand the concern, but I really dislike it!
Rachel Blom says
I get what you’re saying Chandos. As a mom, I would be concerned if I saw a strange guy talking to my 7-year old. But there are tons of options between not doing anything and posting something like this online without any proof.