When local news stations in Harris County, Texas  spread that a
teacher had named one of her students with the superlative of “Most
Likely to Become a Terrorist,” the Internet got ahold of the story and
went into a frenzy.
Proclaimed Social Justice Warriors began to leak personal information
on the teacher that had committed the act. The sensitive information
included her address, phone number and email. This is not uncommon as
Twitter users often ask the online community to “do its thing” in
order to expose the person in question.
Using social media, private information can be obtained and spread
very easily,. This can lead to people getting angry and feeling
obligated to expose someone as a punishment.
You can log into Twitter any day and see people getting upset with
each other and going way too far by delving into each other’s personal
lives.
There is no circumstance where it is okay to ever post anyone’s
personal information online. You should never spread anyone’s address,
school, phone number or any other private information, no matter what
they have done.
Sadly, some people use social media to spread hateful messages.
Although it is  disgusting and we may not like it, these people have a
First Amendment right to say whatever they want to say, even if it
does hurts our feelings and makes us upset.
Freedom of speech is a part of the U.S. Constitution, and nobody
should do anything to try to hinder anyone else’s rights. Still,
personal information that could threaten the safety of another should
never be disclosed online with the intention of harming another
individual.
When you post someone’s personal information online, you could be
possibly be giving it to someone who wants to do them physical harm.
Responding to violent behavior with further violent behavior will not
solve any issues. The greater goal should be to educate and change the
person involved in the problem.
You could get someone suspended from school or get them fired from
work. This has happened in many instances, like the 18 year old girl
in Texas who was fired last November for condemning Hillary Clinton
supporters.
A thief, or someone with worse intentions could use what you posted to
get into someone’s house or harass someone. You could somehow be
implicated in a crime when all you were trying to do is reprimand
someone for their words.
Even if you do not get in trouble legally, think about it morally. Why
would you want to deal with the guilt and responsibility of someone
you do not like getting harmed?
Lastly, what is the point? You got upset with someone and you put
their information out. What did you get out of it? Nothing.
It does not fix what they did or erase what they said. All you have
done is make yourself out to be a bad person, too. Two wrongs do not
equal a right.
Throughout your life, people will upset you with what they say, do and
believe. There is nothing you can do to change that fact. Posting the
personal information of these people will not help you or them.
The person will not learn that what they are doing is wrong if you
attempt to bash them or expose them. Instead, you should try to tell
them that what they are doing is wrong and try to educate them on why.
Sometimes, the public can misunderstand and set the blame on another
person. The wrongly accused person’s information cannot be taken back
once it has been posted.
However, this does not mean that the people who have committed these
negative actions should not face reprecussions.
Contacting authorities should still be necessary, but the wide spread
of uber confidential or personal information is not needed.
Everybody makes unintelligent mistakes over the course of their lives.
Teens often do not realize their mistakes until much after. When
personal informatin leaks, the person’s life is forever impacted.
They will never be able to live the life that is morally correct
without being reminded of their past.
People have the right to be angry over the actions, but it is
important to know that a single tweet can alter another person’s life,
forever.