At some point, they called it the information superhighway. That time, it was like the rich and affluent driving at supersonic speed in getting the information they needed.
Like, so many were left behind.
Then, it metamorphosed into a global village.
You can wait a minute: From an information superhighway to a global village, that is how the Internet was transformed in a twinkling of the eye.
Now, it is not just about affluency taking it all global, it is now understood to be social media. It is the new life.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and WhatsApp, is the definition of life now.
When the ancestors used to ask each other, where can we meet when the rain clouds gather, the next generation thought that was archaic. They went to the post office and slotted a letter addressed to their loved ones, declaring: Let’s meet next week near the zoo.
Next week it was. Meeting done.
Zoom, today. There is no zoo to see. Facebook is there. The spot where some are getting businesses. Others, heart-breaks while others fame, popularity and notoriety.
Many more have found Facebook a ground to pour their hearts out. It has become a space where families have been broken and mended.
Facebook has become a place where enemies have been created, lost friends found. It has brought people in long distances chat as if they were centimetres apart, yet, people who are centimetres apart in reality are worlds apart.
Facebook. One can forget the other social media platforms for a while.
A growing number of Malawians are turning to social media to share intimate details of their personal lives. Here is a trend that sparks public disputes, online confrontations, and reputational fallouts.
Faces fall out in Facebook spates.
Recently, there has been a noticeable rise in incidents where individuals share private information on social media under the guise of content creation.
A couple poured their bedroom woes on Facebook the other time only to get back to the platform declaring the few hours of people following their intimacy resulted in their realising the Mark Zuckerberg innovation is no replacement to a heart-to-heart talk.
Others have, for instance, ended up on the wrong side of the law for body-shaming or revealing sero-statuses to get more likes and shares on their pages.
There was that spate, where two divas (they also wear the social influencers brand), quarrelled on Facebook on who should have attended whose wedding and when?
What is going on?
Experts warn that the line between private and public life is rapidly disappearing, with serious social and psychological consequences.
One psychologist, Flora Sewa, who closely follows online behaviour, says the surge in oversharing is often driven by a need for validation and attention, masked as emotional release.
She says: “What motivates people to open up on social media is tension. They want to feel heard and social media has a way of making people feel like they’re being heard. But, in truth, they are also judged.”
She affirms all they want are reactions, opinions, a d v i c e , or even sympathy, so they open up because everyone has a say on their story.
For Sewa, this digital openness comes with hidden costs. “The public nature of these platforms often leads to judgment, comparison, and further distress,” she adds.
Sewa cautions users against comparing their real lives to the curated perfection presented online because: “Not everything people see on social media is real life. Influencers do not show every part of their life. They just show what they want you to see.”
For her, more awareness is needed.
“Social media gives back what you serve it. If you feed it violence or depression, that’s what you get back. But if you feed it with business, it will bring customers. If you share knowledge, it can attract clients,” says Sewa.
Social scientist Junious Mabo Sichali agrees. Business on social media platforms, including the most popular Facebook is the way to go. That very realisation, he concedes, has let others go astray.
“The rise of monetized content creation has made it difficult for some users, especially content creators to distinguish between what should be public and what ought to remain private. The monetization of platforms has led many people to post everything that comes their way without filtering content just to keep their followers engaged,” he observed.
Apart from financial motives, validation and emotional release also appear to be driving factors. Some people share their experiences in search of approval or sympathy from peers, while others are influenced by pressure from friends who believe going public may bring support or even solutions.
“Usually, peers encourage one another to share their stories online because someone else once received help after doing the same,” says Sichali.
In other cases, sharing online becomes a form of therapy. With rising mental health concerns and suicide cases in Malawi, some individuals turn to digital platforms as a way of coping with trauma or emotional distress. While mental health experts advocate for openness, they caution against indiscriminate online exposure.
“Where possible, people should try to keep their private affairs within a trusted circle. Once something becomes public, it’s out of your control. It is especially difficult to manage when you later regret sharing and want to take it back,” he said.
The danger with the spates that have come with faces falling off Facebook is lawsuits.
“Most disputes start from emotional decisions. Learn to stay in your lane. Not every topic needs your opinion, especially when you don’t have all the facts. That’s how people find themselves facing lawsuits, particularly over defamation,” believes Sichali.
So, as faces fall out on Facebook, you would think it ends there. Not at all. A screenshot of it all is taken, and sent to WhatsApp.
What do you get? Who do you sue when it gets there?
