Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 20, 2014 News
By Ralph Seeram
They were having a great family vacation, posting pictures and telling all their “friends” on Facebook how the vacation was going and when they are returning home. Return home they did, only to find their home burglarized, all expensive flat screens TV and other electronics gone, jewels gone. Their loss totaled over USD$25,000.
On vacation they were letting their virtual world of “friends” know they were not home, so one or more of their “friends” paid a visit to their home.
Facebook is a great medium for social media, but it is also a dangerous medium, and quite a few people found that out the hard way. Some teenagers committed suicide, because of comments on Facebook. Facebook has resulted in divorces as a result of spouses “cheating with virtual lovers”.
Sexual predators surf Facebook for children, criminals search for victims and men and women have found a new medium to”cheat” and have virtual sex with strangers.
There was a tenant of mine whose wife spent more time on Facebook than on cleaning her house. She eventually struck up a “relationship” with a friend” who promised to take her out of her “unhappy” marriage in Florida and take her to Texas where the “grass was greener”.
On the appointed day of the rendezvous when her virtual lover had to pick her up, she promptly informed her husband that she was leaving him and their child for her “friend”. She packed up her “bundle” and went to meet her “lover”. Needless to tell you readers, the lover never turned up; he was not real in the first place, and, in Guyanese parlance she “lost iguana and cutlass”.
I thought of this article after watching pictures of a young criminal, now dead, posing on Facebook with wads of cash most likely stolen along with weapons. There were thick wads of cash. You must have read that he was shot a few days ago trying to rob a businessman in Georgetown.
Now many of you might be wondering why he needed to “pose” with what many consider ill gotten gains. It is for the same reason many post naked or half naked pictures of themselves, or other pictures of themselves.
There is a kind of narcissism attached to this behavior. I mean why would someone video having sex then post it online for the world to see. Believe me folks, when it’s out there, it’s there forever. Forget about all the privacy settings. It is always floating around in virtual space. Quite a few celebrities found that out the hard way, even though it set the stage for a successful career for one. But back to the criminal that was killed in an attempted robbery.
Reports are that the police are now looking on his Facebook for clues to other robberies etc. Facebook has always been an investigative resource for law enforcement officials in the United States. Criminals are narcissistic too, so they have to boast like the one in Guyana. Law enforcement keeps track of gangsters and other known criminals on social media.
Don’t think it’s only law enforcement. You see that picture you posted with tattoos on places where the sun don’t shine? Well your boo sees them also. Some employers keep track of your Facebook page, and you see that job interview you are going to? They already checked your Facebook page before you arrived in the interview room.
Even the United States Immigration Services checks your Facebook page before you go in for that green card interview. Quite a few teachers here in Florida lost their jobs because of postings on their Facebook page.
As I said earlier Facebook is a good place to be also. Personally it has helped me locate long lost friends, or they located me; I used its messenger service to communicate with friends, real friends, in Guyana and around the world. It has saved me tons of money in phone bills. But don’t look forward for pictures of me and my family and so forth. Social media helps me keep in touch with real friends more often than I would have normally.
In the old days you write a letter which took two to three weeks to reach your friend or relatives overseas. Then as telephone became a little cheaper, letter writing was phased out. Does anyone still write letters?
Today I can get an instant message and reply immediately to friends in Guyana. That is one of the positive aspects of social media.
Social media gives some people an outlet to express themselves, comment on social issues. For some people virtual friends are the only “friends” they have, and if that makes them happy, so be it.
I get some of my best laughs of the day from the funny posts, and videos. I also enjoy the rants from posts online. Let me tell you, some of the most vicious rants (cuss down) come from women cussing out other women in true Guyanese language. There is a sort of voyeurism to social media also.
Come to think of it I believe narcissism and voyeurism draw most of us to Facebook but I could be wrong. What do you think?
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected] and on Facebook.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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