Barrister Ali Nawaz Butter
The famous religious celebrity engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has talked publicly about Imran Khan, and the supporters of IK did not like it. Therefore, they are trolling Mirza as they believe Ali Mirza said something controversial at the behest of others. Then, every citizen in Pakistan has a fundamental right to freedom of expression. However, the right must be subject to certain guidelines. The expression of Muhammad Ali Mirza is not liked by the PTI social media trolls who are trying to troll Mirza in a big way. Then, political commentary always begets favorable and unfavorable criticism. Therefore, it is critical to talk about freedom of expression, guidelines and social media trolling.
Social media trolling of celebrities is a phenomenon that involves posting abusive, offensive, or provocative comments on online platforms to elicit negative reactions from the targets or other users. Trolls often hide behind anonymity and claim to be motivated by amusement, entertainment, or challenging dominant views. However, trolling can have serious ethical implications for both the victims and the perpetrators.
One of the ethical issues of social media trolling of celebrities is the violation of human dignity and respect. Celebrities, like any other human beings, deserve to be treated with courtesy and consideration, regardless of their fame, wealth, or status and opinions. Trolling, however, disregards the inherent worth and dignity of celebrities and reduces them to objects of ridicule, mockery, or hatred. Trolling also undermines the values of civil discourse and rational debate and instead promotes hostility, aggression, and intolerance. Trolling can be seen as a form of verbal violence that harms the psychological well-being of celebrities and their fans. As one study suggests, trolling is morally wrong because the troll fails to accord others the proper respect that is due to them.
Please, subscribe to the monthly magazines of republicpolicy.com
Another ethical issue of social media trolling of celebrities is the spread of misinformation and propaganda. Trolls often target celebrities who have political, social, or cultural influence and try to discredit, defame, or manipulate them or their followers. Trolls may use false or misleading information, personal attacks, or inflammatory language to sow confusion, distrust, or division among the public. Trolls may also have ulterior motives or hidden agendas, such as promoting extremist ideologies, advancing partisan interests, or undermining democratic institutions and promoting specific political ideologies and cults. Trolling can thus erode the quality and credibility of information and communication in the online sphere and pose a threat to the public interest and the common good. As another study warns, trolls are skilled and determined propagandists who know how to exploit the vulnerabilities of social media algorithms and users.
A possible way to combat social media trolling of celebrities is to adopt a strategy of ignoring and blocking the trolls. According to an anti-hate group, celebrities should not engage with or respond to trolls, as this would only give them more attention and legitimacy and amplify their message to a wider audience. Instead, celebrities should report, mute, or block the trolls and focus on positive and constructive interactions with their genuine fans and supporters. This way, celebrities can deprive the trolls of their desired outcome and protect themselves and others from the harmful effects of trolling. The anti-hate group also suggests that celebrities should turn off notifications and take time off social media to avoid being overwhelmed or stressed by the trolling. Accordingly, the best response is to ignore the trolls.
Finally, the trolling of celebrities on social media is an unethical practice that violates the dignity and respect of celebrities, spreads misinformation and propaganda, and harms the online community and society at large. Celebrities can counteract trolling by ignoring and blocking the trolls and by maintaining a healthy and balanced relationship with social media. Hence, the best way to answer trolls is to ignore them. However, it is also important for celebrities to remain neutral in political opinions as the supporters of parties and cults will definitely respond through trolling. Accordingly, it is also important for engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza not to respond to PTI social media trolls. Instead, he is an acclaimed Islamic scholar with a very controversial way of expression, and he should remain neutral in political positions as it is a highly polarized politics in Pakistan. Furthermore, if celebrities like Mirza indulged in political positions, there would be political trolling. However, again, it does not mean compromising one’s freedom of expression and speech. Hence, the best way to troll is to ignore it.
Please, subscribe to the YouTube channel of republicpolicy.com
