Akash Ambani and Twitter: the unforgivable cruelty of social media

(Editors note: Akash Ambani was the tag that trended on Twitter and was the subject of comments on the micro-blogging site. Incidentally, not only was the sense of humour misplaced but even the name because the son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani present at Mumbai Indians matches was Anant Ambani and not Akash. The article has been written in the context of the Twitter trending tag) When you write for a digital newspaper like Firstpost (or if your work is published digitally), you’re used to comments that tear you apart. You’re used to readers abusing you, questioning your credentials, your character, your honesty, your intelligence, your education and even your parentage. In time, you get used to the situation and the often cruel comments bounce off you like water off a duck’s back. It’s not easy if you’re not used to it. Exactly why it cannot be easy for Akash Ambani who began trending on social media earlier today. [caption id=“attachment_819319” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mukesh Ambani’s sons Anant (left) and Akash Ambani (right) .  AFP.[/caption] The ridiculously cheap shots targeting Akash have nothing to do with his accomplishments or lack of them, have nothing to do with his capabilities, his parentage, his wealth – but focus on, sadly, his weight. Over which he has no control. He’s an easy, soft target. The most popular tweet is this one: Sir Ravindra Jadeja ‏@SirJadeja 16h Red alert. = Expected earthquake in Kolkata later tonight coz Akash Ambani will be doing jhamping jhapang after MI win #IPLFinal It’s been rewteeted over 250 times, which gives you a fair idea of what twitterati find funny. There are hundreds of tweets which are similar to the Jadeja one, some more tasteless and some less. Thankfully, the twitterati redeem themselves with support like this one: ratna_rajaiah ‏@alphabetiya 46m One day, you might have a kid who has asthma, is treated with steroids and becomes obese. So don’t make fun of Akash Ambani. The point is not whether you like or dislike, respect or disrespect Mukesh and Nita Ambani. The point is that targeting Akash is cheap at best and cowardice at worst. Lindsay Pereira puts it beautifully. “Making fun of a child is just not on. Attacking Akash Ambani because you have a problem with who his father is, is cheap. Get a life,” his update says. There’s more in support. Take this one: haritnagpal ‏@haritnagpal 5h People making fun of Akash Ambani, hope no friend or family gets afflicted like he is. Hate a man for what he does, not what is done to him. This tweet perhaps is what I should add at the end of this piece. But since someone has said what I might have, I’ll save myself the bother.   Utsav Mitra ‏@UtsavMitra 15h says, “I don’t mean to be preachy but jokes on Akash Ambani body aren’t cool. It’s a medical condition. Please treat it with sensitivity. Thanks.”