"Self-media" Era: Manage Your Own "Microphone"

With the development of technology and the advent of the information age, more and more people have access to the Internet. According to the 41st *Statistical Report on the Development of the Internet in China* released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) in Beijing, as of December 2017, the number of internet users in China has reached 772 million, with an internet penetration rate of 55.8%. This figure is 4.1 percentage points higher than the global average of 51.7% and 9.1 percentage points higher than the average of Asia, which stands at 46.7%. More and more people use the Internet and various online social tools, which has led us into the era of "self-media". Some people claim that in the era of "self-media", we are getting closer and closer to the truth. Is this really the case?

　　Admittedly, when we entered the "self-media" era, everyone has a "microphone", which brings us into a seemingly more "democratic" society. Everyone can "speak out against injustice", which makes the ins and outs of many issues clearer, and we have more channels to learn the truth. However, the increase in the amount of information does not guarantee higher quality. Some information may be manipulated by people with ulterior motives and deliberately exposed to our view. During the investigation into the 2017 child abuse incident at Beijing RYB Kindergarten, false information fabricated by someone that "members of the Tiger Regiment collectively molested young children" spread on WeChat groups, pulling the case away from the truth and causing panic among the public. In the end, the person who spread the rumor was punished by law in accordance with the law. Should the public, who helped spread the rumor, also reflect on their own behavior? In an era where everyone is a "self-media", shouldn't we all take good control of the "microphone" in our hands to keep the truth from being distorted?

　　Taking good control of the "microphone" in our hands requires us to understand, know and abide by the law. The Internet is not a lawless zone. Acting arbitrarily will always bring corresponding costs. Do you still remember the clickbait article from a few years ago with the title "34 members of a family massacred"? The title wildly created a terrifying atmosphere, and the article continuously described how brutal the scene was. Many people dared not look at the photo at the end, and the bold ones who checked found that the "34 members of a family" were actually a group of mice. The author thought this was just a joke, but what awaited him was 10 days of detention. In recent years, laws and regulations related to online activities have been continuously improved, and both the national and local governments have been continuously strengthening online management. More and more people are paying the price for breaking the law online. As members of the public, we should actively learn these regulations and abide by them, so that we do not cross the bottom line of morality.

　　Taking good control of the "microphone" in our hands requires strong knowledge literacy. Have you ever spread a rumor? When you see information asking others to repost, have you ever reposted it without thinking? Some time ago, the information "HIV-contaminated blood was injected into watermelons, eating them will infect you, repost to let more people know" went viral, which brought great trouble to watermelon farmers. Putting aside the authenticity of the claim that "HIV-contaminated blood was injected into watermelons", anyone who has received public education on HIV/AIDS knows that this is not a transmission route of HIV. Rumors stop at the wise. We need to continuously improve ourselves and acquire solid knowledge literacy to distinguish between rumors and the truth.

　　Taking good control of the "microphone" in our hands requires us to take action and be disseminators of positive energy. The Internet can accelerate the spread of an event and expand the influence of certain opinions. What originally was just one-sided or false views held by a few people can become the "truth" after being reposted by the public. Not long ago, a video claimed that in an amusement park in a shopping mall in Luoyang, two parents started a violent fight over a small conflict between their playing children, resulting in one death and one injury. The video caused a huge stir in Moments and WeChat groups in just half a day, and people expressed their opinions one after another and forwarded it to friends and colleagues. After the public security authorities debunked the rumor, people learned that it was a false alarm. The video was actually of a conflict that occurred in a shopping mall in a coastal city several years ago, and there were no casualties at that time. However, the rumor-debunking information released by the public security authorities did not get as wide a circulation as the false information. Unknowingly, the "microphone" in our hands has become a transmitter of negative energy. We should use the "microphone" in our hands correctly, we should be disseminators of positive energy: do not spread un verified information, do not comment on things you do not understand, and actively spread positive stories.