Weaponizing the internet just simply means that a certain group of people, a person, or an administration is using the internet to spread an issue that can affect someone’s behavior, beliefs, and actions. They are using the internet to deceive people, in a way, that they would not be able to express/voice-out freely what they think is right. Propagandas are being used to lowkey attack a politician’s opponents. Real dangers of a propaganda is that when a politician is so focused on attackin his/her opponent, regular people who justifies what they think is right are being affected by their actions.
As I said, it is evident that the people who just use the internet to voice out their thoughts on some issue being raised in social media are also being attacked by the so-called bots and fake accounts produced by some politicians or supporters of some politicians. There was this an issue that was brought in the article wherein a journalist/reporter questioned President Duterte for doing such a malicious act in public. Later on, this reporter was bashed by some netizens saying. “Yan ang sinasabi ni Duterte… kaya merong mga journalist na namamatay dahilan sa mga kabastusan… kaya Ms. Inutil Bayaran Pia ipagdasal mo na sana hindi ka mapabilang sa mga napapatay…” These comments should not be tolerated because these are serious, harmful, and meaningful ones. The reporter only justified what she thinks Duterte did wrong. She should not be treated that way just because this netizen likes Duterte that much. This netizen was not being logical and rational, thus clearly a product of a propaganda made by the Duterte administration. There are also some instances where these people who opposes Duterte’s irrational actions in public were calles “dilawans” because supporters of Duterte feel that they just oppose Duterte because they are supporters of the opposing party. Where in fact, these people are just being logical and just stating the fact.
Weaponizing the internet could be very alerting for normal people and should not be tolerated. Just because people support a certain politician, it does not mean that people who just share what they think is right should not be treated harshly just because it opposed the actions of that politician. Everyone has the right to say what he feels/thinks is reasonable, just, and right. We, netizens who are using the internet as the platform of spreding our thoughts and information, should always be logical in everything that we are posting on social media. We should always maintain peace and stop following are biases just to make us feel that we are winning an argument or such.
References:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/weaponizing-internet-terrorism-henry-morgenstern
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