Just within a month, ‘Clubhouse’ (A social network based on voice) turned every social interaction from text, image, and videos to our voice. The most powerful innovation and tool ever created in human history is the power of understanding one another through our ‘Voice’. The power of Voice alone separates us from all the other creatures. If we did not have our voices then obviously, we would be no better than any other creature looking for survival. The power of understanding changed everything and right at this moment, we have the luxury to speak our mind out to masses through a small device that we carry with us on our pockets.
The history
All the great people were able to bring in changes using their power of speech and once in our lifetime we hear names such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi. These key figures had their own philosophy and belief to bring voices to the voiceless through their own voice. This alone makes us know how important the power of voice is and while the times have changed, Personally, I believe that voices will be the most important aspect of our lives till the end of humanity. It helps to separate us even within human beings. Some use it to bring change and some use it to stop the change. While talking about powerful voices, Adolf Hitler also had a really powerful voice. But now, when we reflect after more than 75 years, we realize that his voice led people into a complete dark path. Entire humankind had to suffer because of one powerful voice. So, the real question that we need to answer right now is how are we using this power of Voice? Are we making or destroying our image online now?
The Dilemma
To figure out the answers to these questions, we need to answer this one big question:
When a person speaks, there might be infinite reasons and intentions on why they are speaking their mind out. In the process, of speaking out, one often forgets that exposing your vulnerability in a public domain posses great harm. Last night, while listening to a clubhouse conversation, I realized that 100s of people were listening to a group of people ranting about their problems. Everyone were in sync and the most interesting part for me was that these people were also talking the good and the bad. Then suddenly out of nowhere, one person stepped in and started talking about the good side only. Unfortunately, since I knew that person personally, I realized that he made up stories and deleted his entire bio to talk in that platform. In the end, he ended up manipulating an entire 100 plus people on that club to talk about the topics good-side only. How? How is this even possible?
The Scenario
So, let me tell you what he did and how he manipulated an entire group into taking the good side of the topic only. First, he went to speaker platform then personally brought his entire group of colleagues and influencers to join the group. Then, he made his presence as if he was also a victim for similar thing (in actual he was never a victim of that specific topic). Slowly, he shared his problems and the amount of his problems never influenced the original rants of the topic. Immediately, within a few minutes of speaking, he added another influential person to assist him to calm the rants. Then he became a moderator and dominated the speaker panel with his own people. He then diverted attention to his people, who were also talking about the good sides only. In a blink of an eye, everyone forgot what they were complaining about. The entire conversation ended up in a happy ending without any proper address to the actual topic that the room was formed for. This is just a single example of how powerful voices are preying their victims.
The Pathway
People share about their personal stuff, business ideas that are not in the market, and even though some people are benefitting, many are losing more than the benefits they are gaining. So, be careful on whom you are speaking with and always make sure that you are aware about what you are speaking. It is not always mandatory to speak. Speaking for the sake of speaking can destroy us in one shot as we might speak up things that might not make sense to the given topic. So, learn to listen too. When provided the chance, before speaking, do the fact-check on the information that people are sharing with you on the platform through random questions. Make sure that the stories and experience people are sharing is their own and not plagiarized from some textbook or someone else.
Social platforms will evolve and the impact of pandemic has shown how we are getting connected more digitally than physically. Times are changing and with the change in time, everything else with change too. But, the power of voice will always remain and will be more powerful than ever. So, use it to make a better society and share the learnings from your experience to help the voiceless gain their voice through yours.