The Dilemma Of Online Self-Expression.

Social media is and has been a marketplace of ideas, but recently it seems more as been added to it, should I liken it to a parliament or a courtroom....just a post, comment, tweet or even a repost could send one to be at the edge. But we say we have freedom of speech, do we actually? to me our freedom is one with terms and conditions.

It's just a normal routine for me to post on my WhatsApp status, so, sometimes ago, I posted something that was not my regular kind of post, but I just had to, I wrote about how I believed the Nigerian educational system need a complete overhaul....I don't hate school, I was still a student then as well, but have been seeing my mates, and even teenagers being more creative on the streets than in lecture halls.

I meant no harm, it was just my own honest opinion. I think it was on a Saturday morning, I posted something and on Monday morning, upon getting to where I was doing my IT, the man called me aside and told me I need to be careful of what I post online, I was amazed, I haven't said anything wrong, and in the post I stated clearly that it was just my own opinion, if there could be a teaching center everywhere just as there were schools everywhere where children are being brought up/trained more on their respective talent and creativeness.

So, having my boss calling me aside that particular day really amazed me, he was even saying that what if a potential employer or helper sees it... ah, on top wetin, well I just laughed it off to at least..... but on getting home, I thought about it, should the truth be censored now just because it makes "certain people uncomfortable....."

I remember a time in my secondary school days, a friend of mine, very intelligent lady at that happens to lose a scholarship, what did she do right...she posted a video supporting a social cause, and according to the school..it didn't align with their conservative views.

I don't know, maybe we just must agree with everything as it is and not have an opinion of ours, this lady wasn't rude, she didn't sound offensive, she was even much matured with the way she did her own video to support that cause...she just had a different take on things and just like that they made all her efforts academically disappear, what she was truly deserving of. We were raised to always speak up, that our voice matters too, but we get punished when we do, we were only suppose to act in line with a certain narrative.

And before you come for me, I agree and very well know that companies and certain institutions have policies and also have thier reputation to protect. But should that give them the power to silence their employer personal beliefs/opinions, even when shared outside of the workplace, when shared without malice or without referring or using anything relating to the workplace.

To me, I see this as being detrimental, it is not growth when we turn into a society where what we say, post or tweet online can erase/cleanse all what we've built offline.

Social media still remains that space where many of us can really be heard, and to now take that away or use it against people is injustice. As long as what is being posted/promoted is not hate, violence or misinformation, then why be penalized for speaking their own truth....

Now are we to be scared to let out our own opinion, should we stop being honest, should we blend in as well and keep our opinions......to keep our jobs, to keep us safe....but then, if we do all that, what then defines us as human. Silencing others voices just because they don’t speak or echo your own is dictatorship.....

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