Experts Seek Social Media Policy

Experts have urged the Federal Government to put a policy in place to address the wrong use of social media platforms.
They also want such platforms to be used in advancing the socio-economic development of the country.
Making the appeal in separate exclusive interviews with The Tide’s source  in Abuja, Monday, they acknowledged that many businesses effectively used social media to promote their products and connect with customers.
They, however, noted that social media can also pose risk to the society.
Executive Secretary, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON),  Mr Ajibola Olude,  cautioned against its abuse.
“Not only can social media interfere positively in people’s lives, but false, misleading and confusing information shared on social networks can do real damage to the society”, he said.
Olude explained that the essence of social media was to provide digital platforms for people of diverse cultures to discuss and share ideas on different topics.
“My suggestion is that a policy should be put in place to address it being used wrongly by the concerned government agency.
“Recently, we have seen that users misuse social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, Instagram in situations that require urgent attentions.
“For example, in a situation where there is an accident, we expect the users of all these social media to take those that were involved in the accident to the hospital.
“What they usually do, instead, is to focus on posting the situations on the social media, and in the process allow the victims of the accident to suffer pains, or die”, he said.
A social media expert, Mr Ogaga Ariemu, also  called on users to endeavour to use social media for the good of the people as against other uses.
“Basically, I think users have different uses for social media whether positive or negative. My call to users is to endeavour using it for social good as against other uses, especially during emergency situations.
“Instead of making frenzy from accident situations, as the case is sometimes, such can be funneled to the call for emergency services for victims”,  he said.