Mastering the fine art of “Jump Am Pass” on Social Media

I understand how social media works: you’re supposed to see a post or comment and engage with it. You should like it, praise it, favourite it, pin it, or debate it, hate it, disagree with it.

But at what point does engagement become joblessness? When you take it to the inbox and start corralling friends to stand up against the person you had a disagreement with, when you go so far as to try to get their phone number so you can abuse them very well on a social media topic, can we call the men in white coats at that time?

Someone writes a Facebook post that you don’t agree with. You take issue with it and start to pick the post apart. The original poster remains unflinching and won’t edit or take it down. Because we are Nigerians and incapable of rational debate without getting personal, it soon descends to “Your father! You’re stupid! You’re mad! That’s how you still supported Buhari/Jonathan/Diezani which day here!” ad infinitum.

Because nobody has time for all this break dance, the owner of wall blocks you – and quite rightly too. And now, the real fun and games begin. You take screen shots. You start pinging the entire universe to come and read it and get their opinion.

Come, do you not have work? And if you don’t, do you not have TV? Or bed where you can use your eyes to sleep if all else fails?

I get it. Social Media has become the new high school. You have your own followers, your own ‘Mean Girls Table’, but sometimes, you just need to let things go and get a life. Preferably one that involves real people.