Social Media Abusers

Social media was meant to connect people, share ideas, and democratize voice. Instead, for a section of users, it has become a sewer of venom- and they have made “social media” sound like a dirty word. These individuals deserve a new surname-“Social Media Abusers”. Decency is not just absent from their vocabulary; it appears extinct from their lexicon altogether.These self-appointed but sick trendsetters and smart alecks have anointed themselves as the final word on everything. For them, no subject is too sacred, no person too private, for their poisonous opinions. They troll, they defame, they abuse-hiding behind screens and anonymity, mistaking cruelty for wit and recklessness for relevance. Their comments aren’t critique; they’re contamination. And like any contagion, unchecked abuse spreads, normalizing toxicity until civil discourse becomes the exception rather than the rule.Against this backdrop, the recent advisory issued by the Nagaland DGP to social media users is a welcome step-but a step is not enough. Advisories without enforcement are little more than noise lost in the very digital chaos they seek to address. What is needed now is action that matches the scale of the problem.There should be a dedicated cell of digitally savvy professionals tasked with responding to complaints by monitoring social media for derogatory, defamatory, and abusive content. This cannot be a passive, complaint-driven mechanism alone-by the time a complaint is filed, the damage to reputation and mental peace is often already done. The cell must proactively track patterns of abuse, identify repeat offenders, and build cases that hold up under law.More importantly, the law must be applied without fear or favor. Trolls and abusers often operate with a sense of impunity, assuming that the sheer volume of online content makes them untraceable or that their targets lack the resources to fight back. This assumption must be shattered. Whether the abuser is anonymous or has thousands of followers, whether the target is a private citizen or a public figure, the legal response must be consistent and firm. Only then will offenders either learn to behave like civilized human beings or face consequences as the law prescribes.The power of digital media is undeniable-it can mobilize movements, spread awareness, and give voice to the voiceless. But that same power becomes dangerous when wielded by what can only be described as abnormal minds, determined to spread dirt and discord rather than dialogue. The asymmetry is troubling: a single abusive post can travel further and faster than any rebuttal or apology, leaving lasting scars on its victims.It is hoped that the DGP’s office will follow through with sustained, visible action rather than treating this as a one-time advisory. Time has come to bring some sense-and some accountability-into how social media is used in Nagaland and beyond. This is not about curbing free speech; it is about protecting the basic dignity of every individual who simply wants to communicate, connect, and exist online without being made sick by the venom of a few.Social media should remain a space for expression, not a hunting ground for abusers. The choice-and increasingly, the responsibility-lies with the law.