How cyberspace changed our lives

Had this Mo Twister-Rhian Ramos episode happened prior to the advent of Internet, neither of them would be in this rut.

Passing judgment will not help at this point and may just muddle even further the issue. Besides, who are we to tell what was going on in Mo’s head that time? But clearly he was troubled (with poor Rhian now suffering).

Before cyberspace changed our lives, broken-hearted young men had a more discreet way of ventilating and sharing what was eating them inside. They summoned their best buddy over beer or perhaps something more intoxicating than that.

Usually, it was just one-on-one — or three people at the most. Gathering the entire gang would have been unmanageable and the core of the issue would be lost in senseless, boisterous drunken talk.

The loners would walk into a bar and have his alcoholic beverage as companion — until he begins having one drink too many and makes a scene, gets into fights with men seated in other tables and generally makes a fool of himself. These scenes had been immortalized in a lot of movies from the ’50s all the way to the ’90s.

While there are still men who get over heartbreaks in this manner even in the present time, I can imagine how a lot more convenient it is to rant with just the company of a modern piece of gadget. Trouble is — be prepared for the ugly consequences if you are not careful enough.

I have no idea how girls deal with love problems these days. Maybe they still gather female friends who rally behind them — perhaps over pitchers of margaritas. But I doubt if they are resorting to what Mo just did — via modern technology — since they have a lot more to lose because that had always been the way in society. A woman’s reputation will always get tainted in any scandal — sadly even in rape cases where they are clearly the victims. 

In the past, another way of unloading emotions for girls was to keep a diary that had a lock and key. That may eventually be discovered after several years — but usually after a lot of the characters involved in the romantic drama are gone, with the hurts buried along with the physical body.

In most cases, only the grownup children will get to read the private entries in the diaries, but even the heirs by then would have been mature enough to understand whatever indiscretions their parents committed as part of this phase called youth.

Today, however, there is more chaos in society because of technology. Angelica Panganiban, for instance, would not have gone on Twitter war with the Azkals fans had she simply called up a friend on the landline and expressed her views and what she thought of this popular football team. The world would have been more peaceful that way.

But no, everything has to be shared with the rest of the world via Internet — unmindful of the ugly repercussions that eventually ruin lives and reputations.

Here’s a suggestion to computer schools — or in any academic institution for that matter: Along with teaching modern technology, maybe there should also be lessons on the proper use of the Internet.

Some schools offering Information Technology courses are said to include a subject as part of the curriculum and that is where young students are told what to upload and what not to, but this I was told are done fleetingly.

In journalism school, students are taught ethics and so media practitioners today observe the proper rules while composing their stories before these see print. But everyone has access to cyber world and it’s to each his own there. And so vicious remarks are tweeted and — horrors — even video scandals. While libel laws supposedly cover those, it is very difficult to trace the real culprit since it is very easy to create fictitious accounts.

In the business of print journalism, writers take utmost care and editors are there to make sure that everything is within limits. In fact, if it’s straight news being printed and not a review or an opinion column, the reporter cannot, for example put down in the story: “A beautiful coed was abducted …” A more acceptable adjective is to substitute beautiful with “comely.” 

Perhaps it’s the same with television — I am not sure. We churn out a showbiz-oriented talk show and the world of entertainment has its own rules and set culture. 

But the Internet and those who use it have so much freedom and a lot of its users overstep boundaries and are free to malign and damage reputations.

And there are so many ways to get away with murder when it comes to cyberspace. Even Mo has his own alibi.

But how will this ongoing telenovela end? My guess is that it will go the way of other scandals in the entertainment profession. Filipinos have short memories and the showbiz population has a favorite overused line: Let’s move on.

I can only hope the practice of seeking friends out to unload emotional burdens (but choose people who will not squeal on you) does not become passé with the continuing advancement in technology. 

 That will always be more comforting than interacting with that cold slab of a laptop or tablet that may betray us in the end when its incriminating contents are leaked out for the delectation of a gossip-hungry public.