11/12/2023
Let’s cut some slack on the innocent trending pizza girl.
From the highest and the mightiest of this world to us common facebook and other social media users, we have at some points said or posted some things that we wished we didn’t said or could have worded them differently. Everyone makes mistakes, even the great orators such as Obama do said some things that almost derail their political careers. However the difference is that the rich and the famous have many public relations experts and media professionals at their disposal to do the damage control. But for you and I common folks, we don’t have those “PR Gurus” who can spin a damaging situations that have a potential to ruin our image, reputation and brand.
Pursuit of fame on social media.
The desire to be famous on social media especially on TikTok made the young innocent but now trending lady to compare the “Pizza/wings buying petrodollars-boyfriend versus the “Chapati and beans” hustler-boyfriend”. What she and many other young people said and do on on Titok is mostly harmless but naive. The attention she now gets is not the one she intended. So let her be assured by her friends and relatives that everyone makes mistakes and she must choose her words and actions carefully next time.
Advice on how to weather the storm of social media.
My advices to anyone who finds himself or herself in that situation is to do the following:
1. Say no more; the less said the better; take time off and let the storm settles. Something else will comes up or someone else will be the one in your shoes. The attention will move the trending story and yours will be history.
2. Explain yourself; that you are misunderstood, and you are sorry (you can even shed some few tears) and humans especially South Sudanese are forgiving people. But be genuine for honesty is the best possible.
3. Use social media with caution and sparingly. Don’t be the first to comment or post. There are no awards being given to those who are the first to post or comment or those who continue to dwell on trivial matters on social media in an annoying way. It is just a fleeting one minute fame.
4. Always listen and remember the teachings of your parents and family. Family is your last refuge at the end.
5. Follow the good counsels of your good friends and not the ones who say yes to everything you do or cheer you on while you twerk or expose yourself in the party.
However if you don’t listen to your parents and follow their teachings. The Kenyans have a saying that “He who doesn’t listen to his parents, the world will teach him a lesson”. And here on Facebook or other social media, we Junubins are your world; we will teach you small small.
Girls educated must be a priority.
Finally, I do think that on education we have failed our girls. We all know that education is the key and the way out of the prevailing indignities of poverty in general and true for South Sudan as well. And for that, our country, communities and families have failed our children who are girls. Families in particular and the society in general must prioritize and support the education of their female-children the same way we do to our male-children. All children and people for that matter are equal and endowed with dignity and abilities and therefore deserve to be uplifted. For what kind of society or country are we if we continue to marginalized our girls through neglect, early child and some times forced marriages which result in unequal opportunity at work place for women. I ended with a Somalian proverb that “ a poor man shames us all.” Neglecting our girls and women make our society and country poorer.
Agou Anyieth Kur
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