When I read Frankenstein, I realized that we, too, have created a monster. We have given life to something inanimate, and we are not even aware of how monstrous it has become. We have knowingly breathed life into social media justice. Initially, when social media gained traction against wrongdoing, we rejoiced, thinking, Finally, we have a voice! We can stop all evil. But the truth is far from what we had imagined.
The system we created to punish wrongdoers and correct injustices is now being manipulated by the very people we sought to stop. They use this system to distract us, disrupt our harmony, and evade accountability by offering us scapegoats. We have witnessed countless instances where minor controversies were blown out of proportion while pressing issues—ones that truly demanded our attention—were conveniently brushed under the rug.
We face dire challenges: pollution, climate change, corruption, social injustice, inadequate education, and heinous crimes. These are the matters that threaten our freedom and well-being. Yet, instead of discussing solutions, we waste time debating which celebrity said what and how offensive it was. Even if a statement is wrong or inappropriate, should it warrant nationwide outrage? Should politicians and influential figures spend time on these trivialities instead of addressing corruption that steals food from hungry children? Should we not focus on why our sisters are unsafe even in broad daylight? Shouldn’t we talk about pollution that kills people or rising sea levels that are making even hill stations unbearably hot?
We have a responsibility to discuss issues that truly matter. Yet, we are a generation easily brainwashed into believing that everything we see and read on social media is true. We are so influenced by digital narratives that we struggle to distinguish fact from manipulation. Like I said, we have created a monster—one whose enormity we fail to grasp. If we do not act soon, this monster will consume our freedom, silence our independent thoughts, and turn us into mere puppets.
Social media justice has given power to individuals who may lack the ability to think critically, yet they now dictate public discourse. But it is not too late. We can still tame this monster and restore its original purpose: to amplify the voices of the silenced, to support those fighting alone, and to lend a hand to those who have struggled for too long. If we reclaim control, social media can once again be a tool for real justice rather than a weapon of distraction.
