Maintaining Privacy in Public Spaces: The Importance of Empathy and Self-Control in Social Media

JAKARTA - Behind the screen of a mobile phone, the boundaries between personal matters and public consumption often become blurred. The phenomenon of oversharing or excessive sharing of information is now a serious concern. According to Prof. Dr. Rose Mini Agoes Salim, M.Psi (or commonly known as Bunda Romi), Professor of the Faculty of Psychology UI, prevention of this behavior is actually rooted in the strength of individual character, especially in terms of empathy and self-control.

Why is it so hard to stop sharing?

Bunda Romi explained that a person is often unaware when they are oversharing. The trigger is often social validation.

Dopamine effect: Getting a pleasant response, the number of likes, or comments from the audience creates a feeling of pleasure because it feels like it is being noticed.

Appreciation: This online attention sometimes makes someone continue to be encouraged to upload details of their personal life without thinking about the long-term impact.

The Dangers Behind Every Upload

Every information that we release to social media will give birth to various perceptions. Not everyone will accept or agree with what we share. The negative impact can be very real, ranging from damaging personal relationships to causing moral conflicts if what is shared violates the privacy norms of others.

Using the "Seven Essential Virtues"

As a guide to action, Mother Romi emphasized the importance of moral stimulation in making decisions before uploading something. Three of the seven main virtues that are very relevant are:

Empathy: Consider the feelings and impact of our words on others. Will this post hurt or harm others?

Self-Control: The ability to refrain from exposing everything to the public. This is the "brake" so that we do not act impulsively.

Conscience: An internal compass to determine whether the act of sharing the information is morally right or wrong.

Wisely Sort Content

Quoted from ANTARA, according to Bunda Romi, social media should be optimized for things that add value to others, such as:

Educational content: Sharing knowledge or research results.

Positive Inspiration: Providing a good impact for the community.

Limit Personal Things: Domestic affairs or personal secrets do not need to be uploaded.

"There are things that morally should be able to limit someone from saying it," concluded Mother Romi. By training self-control and conscience, we can be wiser in determining which is worth being a public story and which remains a valuable privacy.