Filter Before Sharing: Becoming a Wise Human in the Midst of the Information Storm

The development of digital technology has made social media an inseparable part of modern life. From the moment we wake up to the time we go back to sleep, people frequently access digital platforms to update their information. Events from all corners of the world can now be known within minutes thanks to the rapid dissemination of information.

However, behind all this convenience, social media brings challenges that are not easy. Much of the circulating information lacks clear sources or data accuracy. Not infrequently, news is truncated, shared without full context, or even deliberately designed to provoke public emotion. In this situation, emotional intelligence becomes a crucial foundation to prevent society from being easily swayed by the tide of information.

Social media holds significant power in shaping public opinion. A short video clip can suddenly go viral and garner thousands or even millions of responses in an instant. Unfortunately, users often rush to react and pass judgement before fully understanding the facts.

I assess that the influence of social media is currently very dominant. Access to hot news, entertainment, educational materials, and social issues feels very close. However, this ease is a double-edged sword; easy access often dulls vigilance, making many people too quick to believe unverified claims.

This condition shows that intellectual intelligence alone is not enough. Society urgently needs emotional intelligence to exercise self-control before writing a comment or drawing a conclusion.

Daniel Goleman (1995) defined Emotional Intelligence as a person’s ability to recognise their own emotions, manage those emotions, understand the feelings of others, and build harmonious social relationships.

In my view, emotional intelligence serves as a fortress to help us sort out which news truly deserves sympathy, which still requires factual verification, and which information should not be immediately believed. Without the ability to manage emotions, a person is highly vulnerable to provocation by sensational headlines or manipulated video clips.

In the digital age, pausing to think before commenting is a tangible manifestation of emotional intelligence. Not every piece of information needs to be responded to, shared, or commented on instantly. Restraining oneself while waiting for more complete facts is often a much wiser choice.

One phenomenon that caught my attention was the vigilante case against a suspected chicken thief with the initials KD in Baturiti, Tabanan, which ended tragically with the victim’s death. In the early stages of the narrative circulating on social media, public sympathy poured in because the focus was on the victim’s daughter who had lost her father. The wave of public empathy rolled out quickly in the form of moral support and fundraising.

However, as time passed, new facts were revealed to the public. Based on official statements from the police, the victim was known to have a criminal record as a repeat offender and was listed as a Target Operation (TO) for theft cases. Nevertheless, the mob attack that led to his death cannot be justified legally or ethically, because every citizen has the right to a fair legal process (due process of law).

This incident is a real portrait of how social media can shape fragmented public opinion based solely on partial initial information. The public seems driven to immediately take extreme positions: either fully defending or completely blaming. In fact, before the material truth is fully revealed, calmness in responding to news is very necessary.

Around the same time, another tragic news emerged about Sumarno, a security officer in the Jatiluhur Reservoir area, Purwakarta, who died from drowning while on duty. The deceased was known as a hardworking and dedicated figure, as well as a father who always ensured his children were protected.

Both of these events essentially leave the same deep sorrow for a child who must lose their father. However, the response and attention given by the public on social media showed a quite significant contrast. The difference in dynamics proves that the virality of an issue often determines how much public empathy is poured out, not solely measured by the level of concern for the event itself.

This provides a valuable lesson that empathy cannot stand alone; empathy must go hand in hand with critical thinking instincts. We can feel sadness and concern for the suffering of others without rushing to judge or justify the actions of any party before the official legal facts are established.

Within the framework of the Aesthetics of Humanism, human existence and human values must be the centre of every technological advancement. Social media should function as a platform to strengthen the bonds of humanity, not to widen the chasm of polarisation, prejudice, or hatred.

The principle of Human Literacy emphasises the importance of empathy, ethics, moral responsibility, and critical thinking in facing the wave of technology. A person with emotional and ethical awareness will not easily spread unverified news.