EDITOR’S LENS: Harnessing entertainment to combat insensitivity on social media

The recent helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, has once again brought to the fore a deeply troubling trend: the reckless sharing of graphic images of accident victims on social media.

This callous behaviour not only disrespects the dead and wounded but also inflicts unbearable pain on grieving families and loved ones.  

Enough is enough. It’s time for decisive action, and entertainment may hold the key to changing this harmful habit.  

Entertainment-education has proved to be a powerful tool for social change. When messages are woven into compelling stories, music, or drama, they resonate deeply, shaping public attitudes and behaviours. 

This approach has been successful in various contexts, including HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns where television shows educated people on safe practices and promoted behavioural change.

Road safety campaigns also benefited from this method, with prominent musician Bice Osei Kuffour, popularly known as Obour, composing Oko Aba, a song that significantly raised public awareness of road safety measures.

 Similarly, the popular Osofo Dadzie series and Thursday Theatre in the 1980s and 1990s used drama to educate Ghanaians on a range of national issues, including health, governance, and social justice.

These examples prove that entertainment isn’t just for leisure—it’s a powerful tool for transformation.  

To combat the sharing of horrific pictures of victims on social media, Graphic Showbiz believes the government can collaborate with Creatives to develop a national campaign to educate the people. (Read Proceeds of internet fraud funding Nigerian music industry – MI Abaga)

The campaign can use music, drama, poetry, and other creative forms to raise awareness of the negative implications of sharing such images.

 It will also involve partnering popular artistes and influencers to create engaging content that promotes respect for the deceased and their families, as well as organising workshops and campaigns to encourage responsible media consumption and discourage the sharing of disturbing content.

By developing a national campaign, collaborating with artistes, integrating media literacy, and promoting public awareness, we can build a society that upholds respect and dignity for all, even in times of tragedy. 

Together, we can foster a culture of compassion and empathy, while discouraging the sharing of disturbing content that may cause harm to others.

This is because each shared image of a victim reopens the wound of their loved ones.