This case of a public female figure’s privacy being violated is not new. Nor is the unwarranted criticism of what a female wears especially on one of the most important days of her life.
Some say social media is toxic and ugly. These are opinions based on facts and experience. There is plenty of evidence and reporting available on the digital violence and harassment that takes place in the digital realm especially when it comes to females.
However let us consider the argument – where is this coming from? Is this toxicity and ugliness a result of social media or has social media finally done what could not be done via the state which is dissolve all socio-economic boundaries and democratised communication? Social media has certainly given a voice but it has also caused the varying bubbles or class structures to come onto a platform where everyone has an equal say.
Social media has merely brought forward what one had always ‘heard’ about in the form of the ‘masses’ who had conveniently been swept under the rug as ‘awaam’ or ‘aam aadmi’ and labelled as conservatives who could not ‘understand’ the more liberal or aware and vice versa. The average person fed off what they saw in Western culture in the form of Hollywood films and conveniently applied it to anyone who did not fall within their defined structures of acceptability. Social media changed all that and you have the Pakistani version of clash of civilisations.
No one should have the right to comment on others or judge but let’s face it, this is a means of earning an income or generating attention and in some cases, gaining validation for one’s existence.
But on the other hand if you are a public figure such as Ushna Shah and if you chose to share intimate moments such your marriage even if it is a single post, then you cannot expect that your life will not face such scrutiny. One can grant innocence of thought to a child but to an adult living and working in Pakistan, to expect no criticism especially in a country where women are seen as mere pieces of meat to be hacked away at and anyone holding a chunk of it for clobbering a hero, cannot be seen as naivety.
What did Ushna expect? What does any female expect? Was there really any expectation that there would be no commentary on a wedding dress? This is a country where little girls aren’t even spared in all their innocence.
For far too long our celebrities and stars have upheld their statuses of being untouchable but increasingly the realisation that they are not in fact, untouchable is sinking in. From having personal details such as telephone numbers leaked to having privacy invaded maybe it is time that our celebrities and stars begin to acknowledge that their voices can make a difference and they need to push for better privacy behaviour and deeper acknowledgment of who their audience consists of. Shutting down social media accounts can be a means of protection but for how long? If you must maintain privacy then do exactly that. One such example is that of Naomi Campbell, a global supermodel who kept her pregnancy a secret till she had her daughter and to date has kept the child's name and face private.
Public figures especially artists shape minds and thoughts. If you are to share parts of your life then you need to be aware because while a public figure can afford legal fees and shut down social media accounts, your status and privilege affords you to continue living a life of ease. What does happen is next time any ordinary person from the awaam who is shaped and influenced by you tries to follow in your footsteps and is hacked away by societal jibes, they do not have the luxury of shutting down an account nor the status or privilege to live a life of ease – in some cases, to live at all.