Early Doors
Coach
This will probably fall largely on deaf ears, and I expect to get a fair amount of flaming. But I think it needs to said.
If you see anything today that you think you need to tell others, be it verbally or on social media, NSC etc do it but only say what you see. Don't speculate or exaggerate, just report fact.
If you see a convoy of army vehicles, and you feel others would find that interesting, go ahead and tell them. But don't add speculation as to what you think that could mean. And if it was 4 vehicles, report it as 4; don't exaggerate the number. Also, think before saying or posting at all, because even if you don't speculate or exaggerate, others will. The reality of 4 vehicles will probably be 'hundreds of vehicles' by the end of the day
Why is this important? Because it's this type of communication that causes panic. Your seemingly harmful post may cause someone who reads to it to worry and panic all day. Or worse! By post 10 it may be have escalated to a fully enforced lockdown, which someone reads and then goes to the supermarket and sees nothing but empty shelves. They then get seriously concerned about how they will feed their family in the lockdown that they are now convinced will happen, and they become depressed. All because of a post that reported speculation as fact.
Things will no doubt get worse. Lockdown may well happen. Hoarding will probably continue. But please think before you speak or type anything other than facts. Will you not making that comment or post change the world? No, it won't. But it may cause one person to have a slightly less anxious day.
If you see anything today that you think you need to tell others, be it verbally or on social media, NSC etc do it but only say what you see. Don't speculate or exaggerate, just report fact.
If you see a convoy of army vehicles, and you feel others would find that interesting, go ahead and tell them. But don't add speculation as to what you think that could mean. And if it was 4 vehicles, report it as 4; don't exaggerate the number. Also, think before saying or posting at all, because even if you don't speculate or exaggerate, others will. The reality of 4 vehicles will probably be 'hundreds of vehicles' by the end of the day
Why is this important? Because it's this type of communication that causes panic. Your seemingly harmful post may cause someone who reads to it to worry and panic all day. Or worse! By post 10 it may be have escalated to a fully enforced lockdown, which someone reads and then goes to the supermarket and sees nothing but empty shelves. They then get seriously concerned about how they will feed their family in the lockdown that they are now convinced will happen, and they become depressed. All because of a post that reported speculation as fact.
Things will no doubt get worse. Lockdown may well happen. Hoarding will probably continue. But please think before you speak or type anything other than facts. Will you not making that comment or post change the world? No, it won't. But it may cause one person to have a slightly less anxious day.