Endless are the posts on social media wherein someone has found something of value — a phone, wallet, driver’s licence, credit card, passport, earphones, the list continues — and decided to return said item to its owner.
“I found this driver’s licence [picture] on Rue such-and-such earlier today, does anyone know Johann Kraus? I would like to return it him.”
*If not entirely obvious, this example is entirely fictional but based on a recent post in a popular Luxembourg Facebook group.
The sentiment is certainly noble, but the action is questionable at best. Surely we haven’t fallen so deeply into the ever-consuming dark hole of technology, social media, likes, up-votes, and instant positive affirmation of our own virtues (‘virtue signalling’) that we have completely forgotten what to do in circumstances such as this?
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the thing to do if you find something of value is hand it to the police. That said, there may be instances where another institution is better placed to deal with the issue - a credit card may be handed to the issuing bank, for instance. Either way, taking matters into our own hands and posting a photo of the item on social media for the benefit of nothing but affirmation of our own virtue is wholly inappropriate, and a sad sign of the times.
“No good deed goes unpunished” has transformed into “no good deed must go without digital pats on the back.”
So why is this a problem? Because if the item you have found contains any personal information (credit card, driver’s licence, etc.) then you’ve just shared someone else’s private data with the whole world. If it does not (earphones, jewellery) then anyone can claim it’s theirs, and you will be none the wiser. We, as private individuals, are not the ones best placed to determine ownership.
Valiant though it is to return a found item to its owner, lets do it the right way, and stop milking such situations for affirmation.
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This article was written by an RTL Today reader.
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