IF, AS THEY SAY, a picture is worth a thousand words, then much has been said about us as Barbadians and our level of sensitivity, following last weekend’s fatal vehicular crash in Ruby, St Philip, which claimed the lives of two young people.
As a people, we have long been credited for our civility, our peaceful handling of disputes, our non-violent ways, respect for authority and our orderly approach to doing things.
But our moral standards appear to have shrunk, aided and abetted by modern technological means such as BlackBerry (BB) Messenger.
For most, it’s the easiest and most convenient way to stay in touch with family and friends. But some are going the extra mile, providing running commentary all day of what’s up or down in their lives by way of their BB status.
It is therefore quite commonplace for persons to BB everything, from what they had for breakfast to what takes place in private quarters after dinner.
To our surprise, some couples are even calling it quits via Instant Messenger; while others are either preoccupied with the latest office gossip or openly revealing their frustrations with the boss.
While we are happy to see the embrace of modern technology, we are concerned that many Barbadians have also taken up the awful habit of sharing gruesome photos of accidents, while boasting of the speed at which they can deliver the “news” ahead of the established media.
To say it is a worrisome practice may sound self-serving. But what is most bothersome about the habits of the “BB paparazzi” is that they don’t engage in any form of filtering and seem to have little or no interest or means of ensuring that the information shared is correct before circulating it.
Police have been equally taken aback by this annoying trend, with Assistant Superintendent Leon Blades voicing his strong displeasure following the June 9 incident in which Keisha Mason’s family learnt of her death via BB Messenger.
“It is insensitive because families would be very distraught at seeing their loved ones in a traumatic situation,” said the police official.
Keisha’s sister Daron was equally incensed. She wondered aloud “if people studied it would affect the family”.
We share Daron’s concern and hope that those engaged in this practice will stop. Today, it is the Mason family’s turn to mourn, but the situation could very easily be turned on its head, forcing us to come to terms with our own mortality.
On the whole, we need to be more mindful of the impact of our actions on others and the hurt that we cause others, even if it is unintentional.
It is hard enough to learn of the passing of a close relative, let alone turn on your cellphone and be greeted by an awful photograph of them in death.
Just as Daron did, most of us would simply fall to the ground.
We therefore call on the authorities – including the telecommunications companies – to take a closer look at the BlackBerry situation.
While the right to privacy should always be respected, certainly those who are known to be engaged in improper use of these devices should be held to account.