(image: A-Z Qoutes)
Di siguro kun pinyangga nan bata pa!
Is
freedom absolute? This question comes to mind when some people make “freedom of
expression” as the excuse for their social media posts. But think about this:
When you hurt, malign and cause someone emotional distress, can your “freedom”
be still considered as an excuse?
The
Constitution says that freedom of expression is the freedom for us all to
express ourselves. It is the right to speak, to be heard, and to participate in
political, artistic, and social life. It also includes the ‘right to know’: the
right to seek, receive, and share information through any media.
While
the right to freedom of expression is fundamental, it is not absolute. This
means it can be limited in exceptional circumstances. Speech that encourages
violence and discrimination against people (e.g. intentional incitement to
racial hatred), should be prohibited.
Also,
categories such as incitement, defamation, fraud, obscenity, child pornography,
fighting words, and threats are not within the bounds of this freedom.
Which
brought us to wonder why people hide behind this excuse when they post violent
and unbecoming words on social media. Is this a symptom of a psychological
disturbance or even some sort of mental illness?
Berne
(1970) theorized recognition hunger as the need to be noticed or to receive
attention and acknowledgement, which can only be supplied by another human
being. It is a need for a sense of belonging and a feeling that other people
know you exist in the world.
There
are individuals in our social ecology who will post “catchy” or even “violent”
contents (like cursing) hiding behind the freedom of expression concept. They
sometimes fail to understand that the ulterior motive is to satisfy their need
to be noticed and recognized.
A
need for approval now and then may be part of human relationships, but seeking
others’ approval every step of the way may signal an emotional challenge
(Fergusson, 2022).
Bright
Quest reveals that the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder
(BPD) include extreme emotions and mood swings, a constant fear of being
abandoned, a strong need for validation from others, unstable relationships, a
shifting sense of self, feelings of paranoia and suspicion, and a chronic and
uncomfortable sense of emptiness.
When
feedback come to us that we are posting too much “edgy” content on social media
and we hide behind the excuse of freedom, we have to examine our
character-traits as well. We might be on the verge of being unstable.
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