THE RIGORS OF NETIZENSHIP

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

NOT all netizens, who appear on my wall, sudden or deliberate, and send me nuggets of private message are stalkers. A great number are well meaning netizens. They bring great tidings that warm even the most callous souls.

A pair of zealous netizens in their 70s regularly sends me biblical passages that prompt me to stop for a while to read and reflect on them. I find genuine satisfaction reading their daily private missives; they are evangelical Christians, who, in their simple ways, impart divine words and wisdom.

A number of netizens regularly send me by private message the latest news, feature articles, and chosen memes depicting their ideological bent. They send me the latest quotes complete with artworks, links to some select works, essays, and news, and, of courses, pieces of advice on identities of netizens engaged in cybercriminal activity and sites to avoid because they are involved in phising.

Or they tag me with the usual stuff accompanied by their most acerbic witticisms and commentaries. This is a free country, I always tell myself. They are free to express their sentiments and feelings. Even the 1987 Constitution guarantees their freedom of expression.

This is part of netizenship, which has many rigors and even issues. As a netizen, I have my belief system, my way of looking at many things, and advocacy. I have my own opinions; I hardly keep them. I express them.

Hence, I receive as much as I give. Any netizen can’t be onion-skinned when it comes to matters of opinions. It is a reality that people indeed express their opinions on the many things confronting life.

But there will always be people, who overstep the boundaries. The send hate mails, throw their fumes and toxic arrogance, and feel they have a sense of entitlement. They are simply obnoxious.

Actually, they are easy to manage. I make full use of the delete and block buttons. They have been installed to serve specific purposes. Hence, I make full use of them. Obnoxious people are obnoxious. What they do not know is I could be obnoxious to them too.

There are also times I encounter netizens, who think my wall is their wall and pick fights or arguments with other netizens, behaving as if they have the right to do it right on my wall. Again, they are easy to handle. The delete and block buttons could do the solution since they serve specific purposes.

Being present in the social media has many sides and issues. Some lady netizens have amorous agenda. I have been asked and propositioned by some lonely souls, who probably thought I could be the answer to their proverbial last trip to the moon.

A widow once asked me if we could have some “platonic relations.” I told her I didn’t get it because I don’t do it. I‘m a full blooded, alpha male, who is still in the thick of life and battles, I told her. Hence, I could deliver the goods.

In this age of modern technology, ED means “ereditary dysfunction,” not that what many people use to know. I’m a Kapampangan, who produces words without the letter “h.”

I have encountered women, or working girls, who have propositioned themselves to me in exchange for some pieces of silver. I immediately delete those messages, which start with a greeting of “hi” to be followed by the proposition, if ever one answers it in affirmative.

If push comes to shove, I usually tell them they could look for other men because at my age, I can’t deliver the goods anymore. Besides, I am a retired, penniless SoB, who couldn’t answer their pecuniary issues.

In my existence in social media, I encountered two guys, who mistook me for a homosexual and ergo propositioned me they were available for services. Wow! I told myself as I deleted and blocked them.

I have encountered some lost relatives and I’m terribly happy to meet and interact with them. I have met guys bearing the surname Lustre in practically every nook and cranny of the country. There are Lustres in Iloilo, Camarines Sur, Davao City, Bulacan (Nadine Lustre hails from Bulacan), or other parts of Mindanao including Cotabato City.

I am truly impressed by the prolific proclivity of my forebears. We have multiplied and are about to cover the country and the world, I told myself in half jest.

I have encountered and befriended the Ilustres, most of whom are based in Batangas-Mindoro areas and even the Visayas. I told them that civil registrars made errors on our surnames. Ergo, we should not take it as an issue. Their fault is not our fault. So far, their response has been very positive. We consider ourselves as long lost relatives.

Knowing that social media is the best way to know and trace some lost relatives and friends, I had them mainly for some divine reasons – money in particular. I don’t fault them. I even take the positive spin that I could be somebody they could approach in times of confusion and bewilderment. But I also encountered total strangers, who feigned poverty and cavalierly asked for donations, thinking as if I was the DSWD, which provides doleouts.

I look at the things positively. They probably think I could be such a good person to go and approach me. Handling them depends on one’s mindset and cheery disposition. It is not easy though. My response is never automatic. It remains on a cash to cash, or I mean, case to case basis.

Life has many surprises. Social media offers such surprises. I am truly glad that I come to know and use social media in my lifetime. While it could be one big desolate wasteland, I refuse to succumb to this sweeping view. Social media has many oases.