Finding dignity in an unkind world

It is not difficult to see that online platforms have become the primary spaces where our youth gather, talk, argue, chase trends and figure out how to live with others.

- LIM WOONG

For students, social media functions almost like a parallel reality they cannot ignore. We often say that libraries shape their habits of mind, yet it is social media where their sense of right and wrong is tested, where they learn, sometimes painfully, to read situations, protect themselves and form a sense of community and belonging. Digital literacy, in this sense, is not just an academic skill but a foundation for navigating modern society.

Yet the same online spaces that encourage connection can quickly turn hostile. Research on dark personality traits shows that narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism often referred to as the dark tetrad-thrive in environments marked by anonymity, low accountability and the instant gratification of provoking a reaction. Social media provides ideal conditions for malice and troubled minds. Trolling, harassment, vanity, scams, fake news and deepfake content are predictable outcomes when empathy thins and attention becomes currency.

Teachers feel these effects acutely. Studies in educational settings describe a small but significant group of children - sometimes as early as kindergartenwho pressure peers, exploit classmates’ goodwill, refuse responsibility, or display striking emotional bluntness. For teachers, these behaviours stop being clinical cases in a textbook the moment they enter the classroom; they become emotional burdens they can’t help but face every day.