Melanie Verwoerd

View Original

The very real dangers of social media: Why we should rather delete than forward

On Friday, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng warned judges against being influenced by popular views on social media.

I have to admit I was rather troubled by the idea that judges are even looking at social media. I have previously written about my concerns around social media. It is clear to me that even though it can be a useful tool to disseminate information and connect with people, it is far too often used to spread misinformation and hatred.

A good example of this happened last week on one of the WhatsApp groups of senior opinion formers with political backgrounds that I am part of. Someone on the group posted a video of a white guy (it is important for the purposes of the story to mention his race) talking about Trevor Manual and Cyril Ramaphosa. In the video he alleges that Manual and Ramaphosa had corrupt dealings with, among others, the government pension fund. He also raises questions about the manner in which Ramaphosa became wealthy – clearly implying that corruption was involved…