Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.

Scandals are useful because they focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.

Some people believe that scandals are useful because they can attract public attention on social problems in a different way from speakers and reformers, and thus they argue that scandals are useful. In my humble opinion, scandals that could expose unhealthy societal phenomena and prompt problem-solving are valuable, whereas scandals that only serve to capture public attention are meaningless.

Those who completely deny the value of scandals think that social change require an appeal of a speaker or an implementation of a reformer. For example, a speech of Martin Luther King triggered a surge of demand for freedom and equality; speakers and reformers make Facebook response immediately to the leaked door scandals. In above examples, the efforts of speakers and reformers are crucial to the solution of problems. Without their promotion, these scandals can only obtain momentary attention.

However, it is precisely because of scandals in these areas that have revealed social problems and have attracted public attention on them that speakers and reformers believe these unhealthy phenomena urgent enough to need solving, and take effort in solving problems. For example, Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights Movement originated from the scandal that a black woman refused to give her seat to a white woman, eventually jailed; the scandal of Facebook’s leaked gate caught public attention, and prompt relevant authorities to investigate this matter. From this perspective, the scandal attract public attention to problem, prompting speakers and reformers to these problems and solve them as soon as possible. Such scandals possess positive significance in the progress of society. It can be said the purpose of such scandals is to eliminate similar scandals in the further and similar problems from happening again.

Even if social problems are not solved, such scandals will allow us to look at exposed issues from different views. For example, earthquake happened in 2011 endangered dozens of students in Japan. A speaker may comment the valiantly of rescue team and claim the inevitability of disaster. However, scandals exposed later shows that the calamity could have been avoided if teachers had taken correct measures. What’s more, the Prism Gate, a secret and illegal surveillance to citizens by NSA and FBI, infringe the privacy of citizens. Though it has not been prevented, Snowden still improve people’s consciousness of privacy protection.

Of course, some people think that the gossip scandals of celebrities can attract our attention into unknown side of a celebrity, and this type of gossip could be very entertaining. However, such scandals not only have no positive effect on social progress, but also have no substantial social mean, even have negative impact on children. What’s more, many media spread fake news to capture momentary attention. For example, there are many fabricated and deliberate created news on social media such as Twitter. Such scandals not only consume public’s attention, but also damage relevant people or organizations. If not controlled, they will mislead more people.

In a sum, in regard of scandals that expose unhealthy aspects of society, attracting public attention will increase the sense of urgency and need for a speaker and a reformer to solve problem. Such scandals are valuable. At the same time, such scandals can also allow people view things from a new perspective. Whereas, there is no real worth in scandals that have no substantial value in solving social problems, such as gossipy scandals and deliberately created scandals.