
After a recent social media post where a female student accused a rideshare driver of sexually assaulting her by masturbating while driving after picking her up went viral, the company responded by suspending the driver to launch an investigation into the incident.
The girl’s post said she became suspicious because the driver was breathing heavily, he was driving with one hand, and his shirt was apparently up. She accused the driver of jerking off, demanded to be dropped off, and got off the ride with her sister. Then she posted her experience on social media, probably seeking the justice of the keyboard warrior class.
The post, of course, gained traction and became viral, which is an important ingredient for those seeking divine social media justice. The driver’s goose was going to be cooked for sure.
Grab took action by suspending the driver while an investigation was started. The driver, of course, had to defend himself on social media, and he even had family members take his side. The defense was that the heavy breathing that vexed the female passenger so much was because of a combination of conditions such as being overweight, feeling full from having just eaten, asthma and high blood.
Anyway, the long and short of it was that after the Grab investigation, which involved the use of technology like the Audio Protect recording, the driver was cleared of the charges that were made against him and his account was reinstated. Even before the results of the investigation came out, the driver’s level-headed defense on social media had already turned public opinion against his accuser, to the point that she had deactivated her Facebook account by then. Unfortunately for her, the mob that she thought would attack the driver was a fickle one that judged her for turning to the court of Facebook instead of the proper channels.
That story was a stark reminder of the power and fickleness of social media, where one can easily go viral and sometimes achieve the intended effect, but sometimes it just goes the other way and bites you in the butt. This case looked like a slam dunk one for the accuser, especially because it involved sexual assault. But because the facts were unclear and the reaction was over, it eventually turned out that the accusation was hastily made and wrong, which made it even worse because it had already been put out in social media.
That is the risk we take when we turn to social media for justice. The court of public opinion is very fickle and terribly harsh. They can be behind you at the start, but can turn against you very quickly, especially if the other side can come up with a credible defense or counter arguments.
If the girl had turned to the proper channels, such as file a complaint with Grab, and then trust that an investigation would be held, there would be no need to deal with the mob, especially if they don’t go the way you thought they would. Resorting to social media may get quick results and destroy reputations, but as we have seen by now, it is also a very unforgiving double edged sword.
For those who want to be famous, or the center of attention, social media gives an easy way in. But if you do it to put down somebody, or make rash accusations, or trash a reputation, then just be ready to deal with the potential blowback.
On the other end of the spectrum was the response of the accused in this particular case. The driver, who was facing a very serious accusation that could ruin his reputation and means of livelihood, responded respectfully and calmly, and put his trust in the investigation the ride sharing company was conducting as soon as the post achieved virality. Even when he saw the tide of public opinion turning, he was even gracious enough to ask the public to stop judging and harassing his accuser. That kind of attitude and social media smarts, which I don’t think can be taught, really turned the mob to his side, and the results of the Grab investigation that ultimately cleared him and reinstated his account didn’t come as a surprise anymore.
The best way to avoid getting dragged into a social media poopstorm is to not start it in the first place. It may be tempting to get the views, likes, comments, and reactions when you initially post your side of a triggering or controversial story, but that doesn’t last very long, especially if the other side pushes back with their own credible evidence, or if a proper investigation takes place.
For those with legitimate complaints or grievances, try going through the proper channels first, the ones that existed before social media came along. If you feel you are still aggrieved after going through those channels, then maybe you can take your shot at the gamble that is social media. Just be fully aware that as with all gambles, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.*