The Vile Culture of Online Lynching. This Is Serious.

In the early stages of our societies, gossiping was part of the connecting tissue necessary for communities to form and glue together. Gossiping generates trust and a feeling of comfort between people, which remains essential for engaging with others.

At some point, hey, we all chatted and gossiped with friends about some poor individual, laughing with a level of unholiness that would not qualify us for the kindness award! People gossip because it makes them -us- feel less lonely. It gives us a sense of belonging and power over others. Yet, in the social media era, what's happening way exceeds the 'normal' human habit of gossiping. In the online world, things have gotten out of hand in monstrous ways. 

And this is serious.

No doubt, last January's announcement that the Princess of Wales had been hospitalised for two weeks for a planned abdominal surgery arrived as a bomb. When Kensington Palace said that this would take her out of the public eye until Easter, on March 31, everyone wondered about the situation, especially as Kate Middleton has been the absolute combination of health, beauty, and duty, always present, always there. We couldn't piece the puzzle together.

Following that announcement, the media and public frenzy around Middleton's health and whereabouts went out of proportion. What we've witnessed over the past two months is waves of vile attacks against a royal family member, a celebrity, and, ultimately, a woman—a mother, wife, and daughter, a human being who, for whatever reason—health or other—decided to withdraw from the public eye for a period of time.

Perhaps she had an emotional breakdown. Many of us may do from time to time. Maybe she needed a break to dedicate time to her children. Or she may had decided to take time and do an online course. But, no, oh no, no, no! How dare she?

'It's a cosmetic surgery gone wrong, stupid!'

'I bet she is dying.'

'She's dead as a doornail, alright.'

Too many people out there have been taking out wicked, unprovoked hatred, feeding the blind viciousness of the mob, savagely slaying other people's reputations, psychologies, and lives.

Gossiping in that way is very wrong. It is vile. We must realise that we are dealing with a serious social problem—a problem of ethics and consciousness: online villainy has become a pervasive and concerning phenomenon. Multifaceted, it transcends the limits of virtual space, impacting individuals' mental well-being, social cohesion, and even physical safety.

This, in fact, is not gossiping; it is another form of lynching. It may be online or virtual, but it is real and negatively impactful. It is a condemnation in the form of unfair, relentless criticism and ridicule of the victim.

A few facts about the dangers of the online world:

• Online anger escalates rapidly due to the anonymity and perceived distance provided by screens and keyboards.
• The target becomes dehumanised, making it easier for people to unleash vitriol without considering the real-life consequences of their words.
• The lack of immediate feedback or consequences in online interactions emboldens individuals to express anger in ways they might not in face-to-face encounters.
• Disagreements and conflicts are exacerbated, feeding a culture of aggression.
• Harmful stereotyping, bias, and misinformation are amplified.
• In the echo chambers of social media, individuals engage with like-minded groups, reinforcing their own theories and demonizing voices that express different opinions.
• People can be easily vilified based on race, social status, gender, religion, or misinterpreted for something they said or did.
• Our societies become even more polarised, and rather than promoting understanding and empathy between people, we feed the beast of tribalism.

The web is the perfect arena for conspiracy theorists. Old-fashioned village gossip has been turned into an online Colosseum, where the crowds go wild and run riot, letting out their bloodthirsty side. In Kate Middleton's case, what I find additionally worrying is that such conspiracy ranting was not done by the odd teenager or systemic haters, those lame individuals whose only way to go through their day is by diminishing the lives of others.

Media, opinion makers, and successful professionals engaged -publicly or privately- in low-level gossip, feeding the monster of conspiracy. Now they apologise.

On Mother's Day, the Princess of Wales received another wave of vile attacks. This time, it was about the photo Kensington Palace released showing Kate with her three children.

'Hey, a finger is missing!'

'Where is her wedding ring?'

'There there, an inconsistency in Princess Charlotte's hand.'

How many of us use such software? Most of us, I guess?

Well let me tell you that my smartphone has been bombarding me with ads, offering to teach me how to become an expert in beautifying my image, how to remove blemishes and imperfections. Gen Z uses TikTok and Snapchat as standards to take selfies, because of their beautifying filters!

Why on earth is this such a big deal, especially when the 'manipulated' details have not altered anything of importance? Furthermore when we live in societies that have made physical alteration the norm? Many of those pointing fingers at Kate's family photo are proponents (or victims?) of real-life manipulation, aka cosmetic procedures. From something as innocent and socially accepted as hair dye, to face Botox, filler injection, aesthetic surgeries. Getting my point?

Is this whole hyperbole perhaps a form of social hypocrisy and do we need to reset our perspectives?

To conclude: what happened with the Princess of Wales is a serious alert about the ethical crisis our societies are facing because of the chaos that reigns in social media. The normalisation of online anger erodes trust between people, trust in our democracies, and civil discourse. Social divisions can only deepen and this is a lesson that learned here. We cannot afford to remain passive.

I wish the Princess of Wales strength and perseverance in this ordeal.

May she regain her full health very soon.