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For Gadget3‘s February 2009 issue, both T and I offered our two cents’ worth on the general observation on the Internet babies saying things and/or posting pictures that were once considered no-gos online. The question raised was about whether this behaviour is a worrying trend, or an acceptable evolution of free speech.

My response was:

The freedom of speech comes with the liability to consequences borne to the speaker. For as long as the Constitution exists, this fundamental rule has not changed. We call it defamation. Depending on which country you hail from, the rule falls under either civil or criminal law. In the instance of Singapore, it can be both (civil: Xiaxue vs Dawn Yang, criminal: two bloggers charged under the Sedition Act), depending on the nature of the speech made.

On that account, I don’t see any evolution to the freedom of speech at all. Sure the Internet has given us accessibility and visibility of a scale no other communication channel can achieve. But it has not removed us from the consequences that come along with it. On the contrary, the measurable nature of the Internet allows anyone to be tracked. It is naive for anyone, young or old, to mistake accessibility and visibility for freedom. The misconception is indeed a worrying trend.

I was from a generation where I had to earn my right to speak. I had to prove my worth amongst people twice my age, and endure the pain that comes along with it, before I was given the right to even utter anything close to even a whisper. As such, a hundred of battle scars and a gallon of tears later, when I finally earned my right to speak, I treasured that luxury like I would with a 10-carat diamond. Even til this point as a blogger with a devil-may-care attitude, I recognise that my right to speak is not quite a right. It is a luxury to be respected. It is a luxury to be treasured.

I do worry for the young generation. Social media has enabled everyone with Internet access to express themselves to a greater pool of audience and at a faster speed regardless of geography, without needing to earn their keep. It is not to say that I do not think the freedom of speech should be deprived of anyone. I just question if they have the testicular fortitude (thanks Dr. Huang) to bear the consequences that comes along with it.

Or will they run to mummy?