When
the news of Robert Williams’s death first broke, it was a simple tweet. “Robin Williams, dead at 63.” It took me awhile to internalize what had
just happened. He was an icon and meant
so much, to so many. Like every blog,
even our little one needed to say something and while I thought of the right
words to say, social media exploded.
From every corner of the social media world, on every platform, news
broke of Robert Williams’s death and apparent suicide. But, it was not the reporting that bothered me;
it was the insensitivity that followed.
His death became click bait for hundreds of news outlets and social
media websites.
So what
can we do as social media, bloggers, and news sources to respect someone and
not make them click bait? Here are five
simple tips to keep in mind:
1.
Report
from the heart. It just takes a moment
to write something meaningful and kind when in the face of tragedy.
2.
Do not analyze the situation as though you are
an expert. The supposition around the
why’s and how of what happens is never good.
Not only is it complete unprofessional, but when you are wrong it
diminishes your credibility.
3.
Respect the wishes of those involved. Trolling Twitter and Facebook for “clues” and
“news” is just immature. Yes, I am
looking at those who used Robin Williams’s last tweets as clues.
4.
Be careful what you report and how you report
it. Suicide is no simple matter. In fact, after a major personality commits
suicides, suicide rates rise 14.3% amongst those following the story. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1765497/
5.
Focus on the good that can be made from this. Depression is one of the many “illnesses” that
society quietly pushes away. Use your
social media prowess to help others. In
the long run, it may just be good karma, but it also helps spread the word.
Remember, your words have wings and with the right hashtags
and networks, you can spread internationally with the click of a button. Just because it garners you thousands of
likes and retweets, it does not mean it is good for you. In the end, be human.
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