BMETRO COMMENT: Social media will annihilate us

WHEN nudes or video clips are leaked on the internet, therea��s some incomprehensible excitement on social media; almost everybody is keen to watch other peoplea��s private moments and, thereafter, share what they think about the a�?acta�?.

This is exactly what happened this week when a city businessmana��s private moments with his alleged police girlfriend went viral on social media.

Before this unfortunate incident a lot of stories involving individual or lovebirdsa�� nudes, some that would have been leaked after a break-up and usually termed as a�?revenge porna�? have been written by most newspapers.

People should understand that although technology may well enable social connection and self-worth, in some cases it may end up alienating us, unintentionally preventing us from more authentic communication and more multi-dimensional ways of being who we are.

This is true when private moments are made public because of the on-going photo-hacking industry deep in the bowels of the internet that apparently thrives.

As media practitioners it is our prayer that when the recordings happened it should be with a total sense of love, trust and belief that the pictures will remain the property of the two people involved or the subjects that pose for the camera in that compromised state.

While some of these recordings are made with the full knowledge of both subjects, in other cases one partner has no idea that they are being recorded.

But even where somebody gives their consent, their partner has no right to publicise such recordings to millions of people who have no business whatsoever with the a�?issuesa�? that were transacted between the two.

Nevertheless, when the pictures go viral, very few people who consume the material are mindful of the private circumstances in which they were taken.

A study by psychologists reveals that most people when recording their nude pictures want compliments, attention, boost to confidence, some type of self-gratification, and a connection to others. Others may just want records of their lives and events and happenings.

The study further shows that women send more saucy or nude photos than men; however they also do not feel ita��s a risk, but more of a flirtatious act of love and romance.