Whether it’s stand-up comedy, internet memes or the latest Snapchat fiasco, some of us Indians just love to get offended by everything under the sun. There’s seemingly nothing out there that doesn’t offend the sensibilities of someone or the other in this country.
In fact, it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of insanity to see people cutting up their Credit Cards if they received an SMS from their banks saying that they’re pushing their limits. How dare they tell you what you can or cannot push? The cads.
But, back to the whole Snapchat hullabaloo. Apparently, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel had the audacity to claim that India was a poor country. Imagine that! The nerve of the man to call a country where 22% of the population still lives below the poverty line, poor. How dare he? Let’s all show him how outraged we are by sitting in our comfy apartments sipping on iced tea while we go completely berserk online. That should do the trick.
As bonkers as it sounds, we’re going to try and put a positive spin on the entire thing. We’ve compiled a list of absolutely ridiculous reactions that popped up in the wake of the whole debacle and managed to eke out a few constructive financial tips from the outrage that followed.
1) Pay no heed to hearsay
If it wasn’t bad enough that a vast chunk of the population threw their toys out the pram in a fit of collective madness, the fact that Snapchat has unequivocally denied that Spiegel ever made such a comment seems to have completely fallen on deaf ears.
But hey, that didn’t stop tons of disgruntled citizens taking to social media to express their horror at something so utterly inane and without any sort of merit. Just because it’s on the internet, doesn’t automatically make it true.
Similarly, when making investments or trading in stock, make sure that you gather information that is both reliable and can be verified by legitimate sources. Basing decisions on hunches and rumours could spell financial disaster, and no amount of cribbing on Twitter can save you once the rot has set in.
Consult a financial expert or advisor before you invest. Failing to do so could see your chances of creating a substantial amount of wealth disappear in a…..snap!
Additional Reading: 5 Ways Social Media Could Destroy Your Finances
2) It’s all about perspective
For some reason we seem to take offence at some of the most frivolous things on the planet and completely lose sight of the bigger picture at hand. According to a recent survey, approximately 4 million people in India use Snapchat, while approximately 194 million people go to bed starving.
Funny how THAT doesn’t seem to grate on our moral sensibilities, but a stray, unverified comment that circulates on social media sends us all into a tizzy. After all, if it’s on the internet it MUST be true right?
So, when it comes to your investments, it always pays to keep the bigger picture in mind. Even if your investments aren’t doing too well in the short-term, it isn’t reason enough to throw your portfolio in the bin in a fit of rage.
Think about the long-term when investing. Over a substantial period of time, there’s an extremely good chance your investments will start showing you the returns you expected, especially if you’ve diversified your portfolio well.
Additional Reading: Diversify Your Portfolio When You’re Young And When Your Finances Are Happening!
3) Don’t jump to conclusions
If people going bonkers wasn’t enough, the most ludicrous reaction to the Snapchat circus was vast hordes of people actually storming Snapdeal in droves to give them negative reviews before uninstalling the app.
Try and wrap your head around that! In a fit of rage, these moral guardians actually took their ire out on the wrong company. Even Monty Python would have a hard time coming up with a script like this.
Hopefully, you’ll exercise better judgement than this lot when dealing with your money. Just because someone has a beef with SEBI, don’t go out there pelting SBI with rocks. While that was just a humorous example, what we’re trying to say is base all your decisions, whether financial or otherwise, on sound information and research.
Additional Reading: 9 Worrying Signs Of Money Mismanagement By Millenials
4) Take responsibility
Let’s face it. You can rant and rave about a comment on social media until the proverbial cows come home, but it won’t change the fact that a vast section of the country’s population lives in abject poverty.
So, instead of taking your frustration out on the CEO of a company who will most probably drown his sorrows on a private yacht with a bottle of ultra-expensive champagne, maybe you could get off Facebook for a while and help alleviate the unfortunate circumstances many of our fellow countrymen find themselves in.
There are tons of charitable organisations you can donate to, or you could even fund a child’s education if you so choose. In fact, you can even claim tax deductions under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act when filing your income tax returns if you’ve made a donation to an eligible charity of your choice.
Additional Reading: 5 Ways You Can Give Even When Your Receive
Hopefully, the next time you see something on the internet that scrambles the circuits in your brain, take a deep breath and verify it before you spend sleepless nights spitting bile at your computer screen.