Social media is a two-edged sword. While sharing information is at the tip of our fingers, how to use it responsibly totally lies at the judgment of the individual.
There is the danger of spreading wrong information or inflict harm, even if unintentionally, but social media can also be a tool in solving cases.
On Monday, The Logical Indian published a video of a toddler being forcefully kissed by a staff who reportedly was in charge of the joy-rides in a mall.
"This is to convey to the readers the possibilities of perverts lurking around every corner," the report said.
While the intention for publishing the report may have been genuine, many readers questioned why the disturbing video where the child's face was partially visible was uploaded.
Bashing the circulation of the video online, activist Harrish Iyer took to Facebook and said that instead of publishing such videos and "spreading paranoia", people should instead try and file a complaint with the police.
"Mails are floating saying 'don't leave your child unattended', 'This is what can happen to your child' by concerned souls. Everyone is totally oblivious to the fact that this doesn't help the child or any parent. If it does - it worsens it."
"Child sexual abuse is more common in India than common cold. It is an epidemic. Spreading paranoia is not the right way to approach the issue. Sharing graphic videos of children molested by adults, in the act will actually perpetuate it more as many would gain voyeuristic pleasure out of it. Irrespective of whether the child's face is visible or not, it is traumatic. Imagine growing up a little and finding such a video of yours floating around in the internet, it will not allow the child to ever get over it. Also given that child sexual abuse is such an epidemic, with an abuser in every family (or extended family) there would be enough people jerking off on such videos after faking their 'concern' online."
The site has now taken down the video from the report “as any relevant information or the original source of the video is unidentified.” The video was submitted by one Dishha Sharma, who said she got it from another person. Any information on where, when and who took the video and what happened to the man molesting the child remains unknown.
When trophy pictures of a crime helped cops crack it
In another incident, gory photographs of two men holding rocks as a man was bleeding on the road also went viral on WhatAapp. The pictures were reportedly taken in Tamil Nadu and the victim has been identified as Mahalingam, who according to the police was a prominent local criminal.
The photographs had allegedly been taken by their friends as a "trophy", but were soon circulated widely. Ironically, the two men seem to have got what they wished for.
The two suspects, who are sons of the owner of an engineering college in the area, were reportedly arrested after the pictures started doing rounds on social media.