SG Covidiots — Social Responsibility Or Vigilantism WFH Angst?

I know I’m being dramatic when I say that it feels like it’s been forever since Circuit Breaker measures have been enforced. I’ve taken refuge at my dining table because I cannot work anywhere else in this crowded home filled with all sorts of knick-knacks. I have had to fight my father for a seat at the table when dinner time comes—”I’m working!” I would yell.

Long story short, I’m losing my mind. And it’s safe to say that a majority of Singaporeans are losing theirs too. I would say that we are quite on edge. Now, a chance to leave the house for a quick grocery run seems to be both a luxury and a thrill. Such is the confusing times we live in.

The consequence of spending so much time indoors is that we tend to be hypersensitive to all forms of sensory exposure outside. Perhaps this is what gave rise to the many instances of vigilantes ready to pounce on anyone caught breaking the rules of Circuit Breaker measures. You could very well be brisk walking outside, minding your own business, when a very concerned citizen pounces at the turn to record a video as proof that you’re not wearing a mask.

Singaporeans being social justice warriors wannabes is not a new thing, and so the existence of a group called SG Covidiots comes as no surprise. The description of the group is simple and says everything that needs to be said: “Covidiots doing their best to sabo us all”.

Like most things, social justice can be a good and bad thing, but where lies the line between self-governing and doxxing? In a bid to understand if vigilantism is useful or necessary, I decided to take a deep-dive into the group to answer the question, “SG Covidiots—social responsibility? Or just an accumulation of WFH angst?”

Is it useful to snitch in the time of a pandemic?

SG Covidiots is a group with over 25 thousand members and was created on 8 April 2020. Based on endless scrolling on the page, it seems that posts from snitches—photographs of people not wearing masks or disregarding circuit breaker measures—result in no tangible actions whatsoever.

A large number of commenters would go on to say that they would report such behaviour, with a moderator even suggesting that complaints and reports should be made via the OneService application.

Indeed, people are being socially responsible for reporting such irresponsible behaviour but is posting it on social media necessary? What’s the point of posting photos of bad behaviours on social media? To have your one minute of fame?

Why can’t one report the misdoings onto the app and move on? Is posting about something controversial the only way to seek validation in our Singaporean society? What is wrong with us?

Is this productive and effective?

As one of the moderators said, the point of the group is to share news about COVID-19 and not to name and shame. However, how can one be expected to act otherwise when the name of the group is almost akin to a call to action.

Its moniker suggests that the group is a safe space to shame and complain, although the guidelines clearly and equivocally state otherwise: “Bullying of any kind isn’t allowed…”

I guess bullying of each other in the group is not tolerated, but if there is a common enemy in the form of an offender flouting circuit breaker measures, then I guess it’s more than alright to shame the offender to hell and back.

I understand that stupidity in others can be frustrating to witness, and often sharing that frustration with others and being able to discuss it can help alleviate those frustrations. But I must make clear that shaming and complaining about something is not a form of discussion or debate. It is you airing your grievances to the internet. There is absolutely no discourse achieved.

Possible doxxing violations

Trust the government to always be a step ahead of its people. Under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), it is illegal to publish personal information of others with the intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Personal information in this act is defined as (but not limited to) identifying photographs, contact details, or information pertaining to the person’s employment.

There are three different offences under POHA, and the most severe punishment one can receive would either be a fine of S$5,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both for first-time offenders. The penalties will be doubled for repeat offenders.

Is that sweet satisfaction of shaming someone on the internet worth paying a fine or going to jail for? If you really must report someone lest you suffer a stroke from going against your vigilante morals, I implore you to use the OneService app. Or you can be fined—your choice.

What’s perpetuating this behaviour?

The question we seem to never be able to answer is ‘why are we like this?’ Why is complaining so profoundly rooted in our culture? Is it because of how good we have it in Singapore? Perhaps we take advantage of the first-world standards we live in and thus have an inflated sense of entitlement.

Maybe we are prone to incessant complaining because it is the only form of control and output that we have for many things and situations that are beyond our control. Does this stem from the fact that we will never be satisfied with the things we have because we know we can have better but do not know how to coherently and intelligently communicate our needs and wants?

So, who are the real Covidiots?

Are those posting in the group as foolish and brazen as those who do not adhere to the circuit breaker measures? Perhaps not. The members of the group seem to fully understand that the best way to live through this pandemic is to stay home, and I thank them for their common sense.

However, do I find it necessary for them to shame and potentially dox offenders? Absolutely not.

Social responsibility on this scale is not productive. Yes, you might be able to motivate people to be socially responsible for fear of being exposed in this group. But is it not problematic that people only adhere to mandates when they fear public shaming and not because they understand the severity of COVID-19?

Being part of a group and posting about news is harmless, but when it comes to keeping people accountable for their actions, let’s leave that to the authorities. I would like to believe that the behaviour of these people in the Facebook group is out of social responsibility and not out of spite, or a need to vent whatever pent up cabin fever you might be suffering from, four weeks into CB.

We must remember that there is only one enemy here—the virus. If we start turning on each other, would that not mean the virus has won? Is that really what we want?