#Stunned The Olinda & Stunner Social Media Controversy. Lessons we can learn.

For the past 3 days Zimbabwe has been rocked by a domestic issue between a local celebrity and his wife. The details of this issue are not what i am going to focus on but i will talk about social media and how we cannot ignore what is going on. From the time that Facebook Live was introduced it posed another dynamic: access to real time issues as they happen. So many will say why are you doing a post on an issue that should be between two lovers? I want to say that the moment Olinda posted that live video this issue ceased to be a private matter but it got into the public domain and is now open to scrutiny from whosoever may desire.

This is the challenge of the social media age and it is not only limited to Zimbabwe, its way better in Zimbabwe. Social media has posed a lot of problems be it in the political, domestic or religious scene. So what can we learn from all this:

Facebook is a very powerful rallying tool for a cause whether good or bad

Say what you will about Olinda but she has all of the Zimbabwe & Zim diaspora community discussing right now. Also it has opened up discussions on cheating, sugar mommies, blessers and all that stuff. Whether that was her intention or not i cannot tell but she has rallied people to react to her situation with stunner. Even new words like stunnerize are now being formulated. Memmes have been created. And the controversy continues because a new twist is added everyday!

What you share on your Facebook feed can affect your reputation and that of others linked to you either for good or for bad

Facebook is this whole new cool thing that was brought to us but it also introduced its own complexities and has opened a whole can of worms concerning what is acceptable and not acceptable. And not just facebook but all of social media in general. There is a lady called Dion Chasa who found herself in H-METRO during this whole saga because she made a joke that made it seem as if she was part of this who debacle. Its cool to hop onto a trending topic but you might find yourself in the headlines for something that was just  a game to you. Facebook is now a news source and both journalists and the public are out there hunting for whats grabbing the attention of most.

Whenever you post something online you have shared it with the world

The moment you do a live video or just post a comment on Facebook or Twitter you have already shared with the world. Whether your content is authentic, or you made a lapse in judgement or you made a mistake the whole word is now privy to that post/video/picture and they are prone to interpret and comment and react as they see fit.

Privacy is now a very subjective term with the advent of technology

Recently in America a preacher and singer called Kim Burrel got in trouble for a sermon she preached in the privacy of her church concerning homosexuality. Apparently someone was not pleased and recorded a video of the sermon which was then leaked online. She later apologized stating that the message was for her church  and not the broader L.G.B.T community but the damage was already done and she was banned from appearing on Ellen de Generes show to promote a track she collaborated with Pharrell Williams called I see Victory from the soundtrack of the film Hidden Figures. What she thought was a private sermon was broadcast to the whole world and has since affected her music business and church life. She has also lost her radio show and has been uninvited to events she was supposed to sing at.I know a lot of people want to ignore technology but you might find yourself affected one of these days and its important to understand how technology is affecting the landscape today.