We need caution in the use of social media

The use of social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, Hi5, LinkedIn, Bing, Flickr, Instagram and Imo, among other platforms, has not only become fashionable, but has also come to stay with us.

Anyone therefore who does not subscribe to any or particular social media platforms is referred to as ‘BBC (born before computer)’, meaning such a person is not moving with the times.

But that is the least of our worries. Social media, undoubtedly, has come to spice up social relations among people and bring people who live far apart and on different continents closer. Members of families that are living far apart from one another are also able to interact easily through social media.

The danger in the proliferation of social media platforms, however, is when it comes to the dissemination of information. Due to their  wide reach, social media are able to spontaneously reach a lot more people at a go, even better than the traditionally known media.

That in itself would have been a plus if it had not been for the fact that social media platform is operated by everyday people without the basics in journalism training and without the basic knowledge of ethics that guide the profession.

Our consternation lies in the fact that in recent times, even trained journalists have fallen prey to information circulated on social media and passed on such information as the truth. As they say, any news that is passed on by the media is considered as the truth. But passing off information making the rounds on social media as the news without first cross-checking it is very disturbing indeed.

It does not only mean that the media would gradually resign itself to peddling untruths and making such untruths seems as the  truth, but it also has the propensity to open up the media space to all manner of people who do not know  anything about journalism and the ethics that guide its practice.

Making social media our unfettered source of news also impinges on the security of the state, as everything put there by just anybody would be passed off as the ‘Gospel’ truth.

Apart from last Wednesday’s phoney reshuffle peddled on social media that caused quite a scare, especially because it was carried by well-established media organisations that either failed to cross-check the veracity of the information or thought it was the truth that the Flagstaff House was denying, there have been several instances when the social media have been abused.

People have used the social media to insult, peddle rumours or ridicule leaders, members of the government and elders in society and gone scot-free, because social media are not regulated. Therein lies the danger, because although they have positive sides, social media are also used for scams and to defraud unsuspecting people.

While we wait for any form of regulations to streamline the use of social media so that they do not become an albatross around our neck, we urge circumspection in their use among all those who subscribe to their usage.

Especially as we are in an election year, we ask the public to exercise some restraint when using any social media platform so as not to inflame passions. Words have power and images or pictures even more.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, urges everyone to err on the side of caution as we exchange information on the free social media platforms. We especially ask colleague journalists to exercise caution when using any information on social media and thoroughly cross-check this before its use.