EDITORIAL — From safe fun to dangerous

It never hurts to inject a little humor into our lives. Whether it is to laugh at difficult situations, at the jokes of others, and even at our own selves sometimes, humor breaks down barriers and makes any unbearable situation bearable.

Others have a twisted sense of humor, like those who play pranks or practical jokes on others. Still, these pranks or practical jokes can be appreciated as long as they are done in good taste and with good intentions.

Not so for this band of pranksters in Sitio Arapal, Barangay Anonang Sur, Bogo City.

Two adults and three minors were recently arrested after they placed candles in the middle of a dark road and dressed one of them up as a White Lady --a type of spirit famous in Philippine folklore-- to spook motorists passing by.

By the time authorities arrested them, including the “White Lady” still in full costume and makeup, they had already scared the living daylights out of several people.

The group said they carried out the prank so they could record it and put it online.

The two adults of the group, Arvin Gonzaga and John Paul Cabarles, have already publicly apologized for their actions and were made to do community service in the area where they carried out their prank.

There are two things that everyone can learn from this incident.

The first is that people must be able to determine between what is safe and responsible fun and what is something irresponsible that can lead to others getting hurt.

The place where they carried out their prank wasn’t just dark; it was also prone to accidents. What if some motorists they scared were actually run off the road and got hurt or killed?

The second is that some people need to realize how much social media is already too much, or when it has become a bad influence on them.

All the things this band of pranksters was willing to do was for the sake of social media, of having something interesting to post online.

Some people, especially minors and even those past the age of discernment, still need guidance when it comes to determining when something has proceeded beyond safe fun into something more dangerous. And we mean that for both practical jokes and social media.