Globalisation has come with its own pros and cons. More than ever, the world has become so small that a Rwandan down in the most rural area may know the scandals in the British Royal Family, without necessarily ever taking RwandAir’s new route, thanks to the internet. Social media is continuously changing society’s way of doing things, needless to mention the behavioural aspect. Many people, especially celebrities, have taken advantage of the rapid internet penetration to increase the number of their devotees and boost their influence. If you have been closely following local social media trends you may know where I am heading with this. Not long ago, a video featuring renowned Rwandan fashion designer, Moses Turahirwa, engaging in sexual intercourse with another man, went viral, subjecting him to homophobic comments on social media. Shortly after, the artist who is the brains behind the popular brand ‘Moshions’ issued an apology statement, saying the video was leaked, adding that he respects and supports Rwandan cultural values. Last year in November, Turahirwa had also been all over the media over a photo he shared on his no longer existing Twitter handle, showing him almost naked, at a hotel in the Northern Province. His latest scandal has dwarfed Aline Gahongayire’s recent photo showing her seemingly pregnant, setting tongues wagging on social networks. On Gahongayire’s photo, the comments were mostly on the fact that she is a devoted Christian, and therefore, as the Christian faith stipulates, pregnancy is counted “without blame” when in a marital relationship. Responding to the rumours, the gospel artiste did not confirm whether she is pregnant or not. She instead said people should spend their time wisely, minding their own business instead of interfering with her private life. The question, therefore, is, who is to blame? Some will say the people who comment on other people’s posts anyhow, while others will blame the people who publicly expose their “private matters”. Or, maybe, we should blame the owners of these social networks who deemed the comment section necessary. All in all, the truth remains, as long as you are a celebrity or a public figure, people will talk about you, with or without your consent. And I would even say, not all comments are to be ignored. Some hold some truth and intend no harm at all. The only problem is when the addressed person becomes so defensive. There is this popular scripture in the Bible that equates Christians to a city that can't be hid because it's built on a hill, therefore, urging proper behaviour that aligns with the Christian faith. To some extent, outspoken people are like this city. Be it a politician, teacher, doctor, journalist, artist and so on, at times you should think twice about how your audience will perceive that particular content you are about to put out there. First consider the social, cultural and religious context. But again, the above doesn’t apply to those who publish controversial content to become more popular. To people minding their own business on everything, I am afraid some of the things you are keeping a blind eye on are not your business only for the time being. Soon or later, you or yours might be affected or influenced by the same vice you didn’t call out. Unfortunately, with the increasing “modernisation”, defining what is a vice is difficult, because there is no longer white or black, only grey.
