Photo courtesy of Veems

As they say, the pen is mightier than the sword and so is writing on social media, especially for us bloggers and/or traditional media practitioners. How responsible are we online really? Coming from a perspective who studied and practiced Journalism in the Philippines and abroad, I’ve learned from the veteran journalists and mentors from The Manila Times College (formerly The Manila Times School of Journalism), The Manila Times, ABS-CBN and The Sun Daily how writers and editors should practice responsible writing–whether through traditional or online media. It also applies to anyone who uses social media in their everyday life.

Through Veems app you can now speak your mind freely without harsh social judgement through social media and talk about real issues. According to Iddo Goren, Veems CEO, they started the Anonymous public chat to help people share their ideas and emotions more freely. There are topics and certain experiences that we go through daily that we just can’t share on Facebook.

Why do most people write online or blog? They blog about things they are passionate about. I write because it’s my passion in life and it’s a good way to express things I want to present to my readers. I also want to further hone my skills in writing and editing. It’s something I enjoy and learn from everyday. It’s a journey, an experience that’s fulfilling and touches different people without barriers–it’s the World Wide Web anyway.

Video courtesy of Veems

Some are not into social media as much as others and they even become too critical about sharing so much photos. So you asks why do people spend so much time online on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? They want to share things that they love, enjoy, and care about. Some may say you don’t need to share so much, yes that’s true, there’s a limit but also there’s that thing where you can actually respect and actually enjoy whatever someone shares on their own private or even public accounts. If it doesn’t hurt you, why comment harshly or bully that person when the posts are not meant to hurt you personally? That’s the thing, post and comment responsibly. Think more, share different and make the Internet a wonderful, democratic, positive experience rather than a negative place to share ideas online.

Do you notice though how some filter what the write or express their opinions because they don’t want to be judged, ridiculed or worse get fired? According to a study done by Pew Research, most of your friends on Facebook won’t share their opinion about a certain topic if they think it’s unpopular. This is a situation called “Spiral of Silence”.  People are afraid to speak up for fear of isolation.

Yes, The HodgePodge Lifestyle is a lifestyle and current events website. Yes, I do sometimes upload curated news bits about important issues about religion, drugs and terrorism but I don’t expound much on opinion articles because of the “Spiral of Silence”. Now I realize that with responsible social media ethics and awareness, social issues are important to talk and write about but some words may be harmful or extreme. Have you noticed how comments these days can be too safe or too extreme?

Photos courtesy of Veems

The team behind the social app, Veems, has felt that many people share on social media but only topics that they think are safe or fit the status quo. While this is good, there are topics or questions in life that we must explore with other human beings–responsibly that is.  The Internet and social media are supposed to be places where we can explore our ideas freely in the first place.

Photo courtesy E27

Share a public status privately. Just like on Facebook and Twitter, you can share what’s on your mind to your followers. But instead of just posting it on your timeline, the status is sent as a private message. It becomes more personal and you don’t have to comment, “will PM you”
if you want to take the conversation privately.

Because when someone replies to your message, only you will see it. This puts you in control of the conversation that you started.

Join public chat on Veems like the Anonymous. It’s a public chat that’s a sure hit–with almost 5 million messages sent in a given day. Users have talked about different topics from the struggles in school to sex, parenting, religion, and relationships.

Have you ever been scared on sharing your opinion on your social media? Find out how you can share different on Veems by visiting their website and download Veems on Google Play, so you can #hugot your heart out.

For more info about Veems, you may visit their website at:

Website: Veems

Facebook: Veems