Do you know
there is a “Cyber Manhunt Team” which tracks down Hongkongers’ private life
through internet media?
…Or so the
rumor said. It’s only a running gag originates from the “Hong Kong
Golden Forum”.
That team
may not truly exist, but this “cyber manhunt” (網上起底) behavior is real.
“Manhunt” is
a term originally used by police, referring to the search of background
information of an objective person. With the progress of internet and
technology, and more people sharing their lives on social media, cyber manhunt
became a popular method to hunt for personal information by the netizens in 21st
century.
This kind of
personal data collecting is different from those done by companies for business
promotion, since the aim of the hunt is supposed to “bring the target to
justice”.
It’s true
that most of the time, it’s the immoral and unfair issues that were brought to
the cyber trial, like the famous “Uncle Bus Incident”, “Kong Girl” hitting a
child and some animal abuse cases. Some scholars think that it is a way for the
stressful Hongkongers to voice out their dissatisfaction in lives and to
acquire their own sense of justice by punishing those who act inappropriately.
However,
there are lots of criticisms saying that, this behavior is just basing one’s happiness
on others’ suffering. Some other scholars blame the “cyber judges” for
they enjoy seeing the victims’ embarrassment and pain (from their daily lives
being revealed), and that they are only hypocrites trying to make themselves
look morally superior by teasing the “less moral” victims.
Though, I
am kind of neutral on this issue.
As suggested
above, some people really deserve to be criticized on the internet even though
what they have done is totally legal. (Yeah, I am one of those self-righteous
hypocrites)
The only
problem is, in my opinion, what should be considered as “right” or “wrong”?
What gives
us the power to decide whether someone has done something bad?
What
standard do we base on when we make that judgment?
If these
questions don’t even come to our minds when judging others, then…we are no
better than kangaroos.
