By Joshua Corcuera
Last April 1 was April Fools’ Day, most people, if not everyone, is familiar with this custom celebrated during the first of April. People who observe this day usually make practical jokes to family and friends as well as hoaxes.
While it is nice to have fun sometimes and to find some comfort in these trying times, April Fools’ Day also reminds us that we should not be fooled easily—nor should we allow ourselves to be fooled by other people in matters of significant importance. Thanks to social media, information spreads like wildfire—and so does disinformation and fake news. We have to admit that many people, here in the Philippines and beyond, are gullible enough to believe in false information. Some false information found on the internet may just want to be viral or to gain attention, but others intentionally do so to destroy someone else’s image—usually someone they hate.
Another thing that April Fools’ Day seems to teach us is that we should be careful of the things we say to other people. Not only should we make sure that the things we say are true, but also they should not be offensive. Basically, everything has limits—even jokes. After all, there are some jokes that can offend a certain group of people, which is why we should be mindful of the language we use—whether in writing or by word of mouth. In social media, some people make jokes that are more insulting than funny; yet for some reason, they go viral. This does not mean, however, that we should tolerate such wrongdoings—jokes must not be below the belt. Otherwise, it is no longer a joke, but an insult that must be dealt with consequences.
Aside from insulting jokes and disinformation spread in social media, scams are also pervasive in society. For example, there are times where you would receive a text message saying that you have won a prize. Some texts would even claim that you have won one million pesos and the text would ask you to give load to a certain number or, worse, ask you to go to a certain address. Hopefully, no one falls victim to these scams—we should not be fooled by those who seek to gain unjustly at the expense of others.
However, I thought to myself: why do such scams continue to this day? If those who perpetrate such acts cannot have a victim, why would they tirelessly continue to do so? Or maybe, just maybe, their scam has worked to their favor. Hopefully my guess is wrong. Regardless of whether or not their scam has worked, it should remind us that we should not be fooled easily by others, we should not be gullible, and we can prevent scams by thinking critically and having a probing mind.
April Fools’ Day was already a week ago, but some people might still be fooled easily by serious matters. To prevent falling victim to scams and fake news, it is imperative to think, think, think. It is unfortunate that some would be triggered by emotions immediately—something which we must all avoid.
