Freedom or Something Else?

 

                                                (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.