Effects Of Social Media On Society

The role of the media as the mobiliSer for social integration and cultural harmonization cannot be over-emphasised. This is besides its traditional role of informing, educating and entertaining the public.

Since the advent of the media as the means of communication, it has helped to shape the world in various forms and as well succeeded in attracting large audience. It is not by accident seeing people besieging the newspaper stand looking for newspapers to buy for information and current news, or seeing people clinging to their radio or television sets just to know what happens around the world.

In recent times however, especially with the advent of new technology known as social media, there has been a fast decline in media consumption. The public, mostly youths have shifted from using the media as their means of getting information, to social media which comes in form of internet system using mobile telecommunications as the channels of communication.

Given the invention of modern technologies in the world today, which gives birth to social media, one does not expect the world to be static. In other words, social media is a welcome development in our society. It serves as a mobile media through which people get latest information about the happenings around the world. It also serves as the fastest means of inter-personal communication to users.

Regrettably however, there has been a gross abuse of the social medial by most users, especially the youth. It is a common practice among many users to exploit the social media to defame characters of many highly placed people in the society, most especially political office holders and other eminent citizens perceived to be political opponents.

A good example came to limelight during the fuel subsidy crisis. Many users of the social network who were opposed to the fuel subsidy removal used the medium to rain abuses on President Goodluck Jonathan. The same scenario repeated itself when the president re-named the University of Lagos after the late politician and the winner of an annulled June 12, 1999 Presidential election, Chief M.K.O Abiola. This, to me, amounts to the abuse of the social media. It is a desecration of the highest office in the land and should be condemned.

This kind of abuse, is not possible in traditional media i.e, newspapers, radio and television. While the traditional media sift facts and information excesses, the social media is raw in its information for the simple reason that there is nobody to serve as a gatekeeper.

Recently, the Senate President, Senator David Mark bemoaned the abuse of social media and called for caution on the part of users. I wish to lend my voice to that call.

Meanwhile, the attention given to social media has robbed our society of moral values, and as well reduce the standard of our education. Students particularly devote much more time to social media and internet than what they devote to their studies.

Many have cultivated the habit of using their precious time chatting on face book or playing games. Whereas, some of them could barely write simple sentences in English language. You could imagine the effects of this one our education.

It is imperative therefore to re-orientate our youths, especially the students on the use of social media. It is true that social media plays a major role in keeping the users informed, but we should draw a line between its advantages and its negative aspects.

Again, people should devote much more time to the traditional media than the social media. Although their functions are interrelated, the media gives more accurate information than the social media, whose sources sometimes are unverifiable.

The media itself should live up to the expectation, by introducing programmes that would get the attention of the audience. We are in a competitive world where the media should be more proactive in its service to the people.

Godstime is a student of Mass Communication, RUST, Port Harcourt.

Ogum Chukwu Godstime