Conflicts will inevitably arise at some point, if not several times during the day, when you have a family. Everybody has had at least one argument with a sibling, which is common, and family conflicts are as old as families themselves.
As everyone is aware, Paul and Peter Psquare have been at odds for years and recently declared their split from one another. Whether you like it or not, their fight was widely publicized on social media and in the headlines for years, so you undoubtedly heard about it.
Paul Okoye, also known as Rudeboy, announced on Instagram just a few days ago that his brother had stolen his song. He rekindled their long-standing rivalry by claiming ownership of the song “Winning,” which his twin brother had released. Psquare fans experienced a range of emotions as the brothers publicly shared their complaints and private discussions, leaving little opportunity for a reconciliation free from outside intervention.
Social media users have taken sides, supporting one brother and disparaging the other, as might be expected. The issue with it is that social media can intensify conflicts that could be settled in private.
Family members who air their complaints online miss the chance to resolve their differences amicably and run the risk of their feelings escalating in the face of public scrutiny.
Not only have the Psquare brothers recently been at each other’s throats online, but the Edochie brothers have also done so.
For some background, Yul Edochie, a Nollywood actor, was married to May Yul-Edochie, and the two produced children together. Eventually, he took in Judy Austin as a second wife after having a child with her while still married to May. He was divorced by May right away, and Yul has been blissfully married to Judy ever since, sharing pictures of her online.
In a recent podcast, Yul’s brother Linc discussed their marriage and recommended him to keep it private. This did not sit well with Yul, who then resorted to Instagram to publicly criticize his brother.
“You wey hide your marriage inside house, you no longer divorce?” he said, in part. Did your wife leave you? Psychosis. “Everyone is a social media advisor,” and another post advised against publicly criticizing your family. Never. That is an indication of weakness. Isn’t that incongruous?
Family meetings—whatever happened to them? You know, the kind where elderly relatives tend to squabble over trivial and typically unimportant matters?
Celebrities tend to require those because, with the popularity of social media, it seems that the art of resolving conflicts in person or over the phone has been lost. You want millions of people involved in your business, but why?
Maintaining the privacy of family matters promotes improved communication and respect. Family members can openly express their feelings without worrying about criticism or negative reactions from others (which would always occur on social media) when you talk about your problems in private. Siblings can address the true problems that underlie their arguments through open lines of communication, opening the door to true reconciliation.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the internet never forgets. People occasionally use it online to alert others to a small phenomenon known as the “digital footprint,” which means that even if a famous person removes the post in which they implicate their siblings, it will still be accessible to others. Furthermore, the internet would constantly remind them of their disagreements, even if they tried to move on and forgive one another.
Siblings should put their family ties ahead of public acceptance rather than looking for support or validation online. The benefit of settling disputes amicably is that it promotes open communication, respect for one another, and a greater likelihood of reestablishing trust free from outside influences
Even if you decide not to forgive one another, there are some things that are better kept private, even though social media can frequently feel like an open invitation to share.
