There are many benefits of having social media. People share information with each other and this increases awareness and knowledge. Videos of wit and humour are fun to watch. A lot of positive and constructive awareness can be achieved regarding inter alia social matters, welfare issues, rights of women and human rights causes. At present it is difficult for people to live off-line. The majority of people spend a considerable amount of time everyday on-line. At present life has been made dependent upon on-line information.
However, social media and on-line platforms in all shapes and forms become dangerous when hatred, religious extremism, religious hatred, fake news, bigotry, misogyny, incitement of violence and falsehood spread around like wildfire. The aforementioned phenomena’s are extremely dangerous and harmful as regards local, national or international harmony.
Sometimes certain people with hidden agendas and vested interests put petrol on the fire of falsehood which is circulating on-line. Some people are unaware of their actions as regards stating false information on social media websites. Some people unintentionally spread falsehood by believing it to be true. Most people hardly ever bother to verify the truth. Conspiracy theories are common place in social media. In the end the truth always prevails. In nazi Germany when the holocaust was taking place the world was not slightly concerned, it should have been extremely concerned. A large percentage of the German people were indoctrinated with extreme hatred for the jewish people through the nazi propoganda machine. Wheresoever there is oppression, injustice, violation of basic human rights, potential genocide and the potential for everlasting conflict the world should be extremely concerned. Social media can also be an instrument for noble and good causes.
In the world of politics extreme care ought to be exercised by politicians as to what they state and what vision they portray on-line. Positive, fair and genuine criticism is extremely beneficial for society. In certain countries politicians should not use social media as a tool to destabilise a state.
The side effects of falsehood and fake news can inter alia; cost somebody with their life, can destroy harmony at numerous levels, can cause instability, can cause economic loss, can cause destruction to businesses and properties and can cause political instability in many countries around the world. Falsehood grows at a swift pace and attracts a large audience.
The acts of; falsehood, perverting the truth, twisting the truth, creating fictional stories, creating fear and hysteria, misleading the ignorant and arrogant and playing with emotions and susceptibilities on social media websites is extremely dangerous.
A person or a group of persons can be based in some remote part of the world and from that place they can use social media and the internet to spread inter alia religious extremism, religious hatred, racism, falsehoods and interfere in the politics and internal affairs of other states. The aforestated can be extremely dangerous.
In such circumstances, clearly there should be checks and balances. Those who own social media websites should ensure that incitement of violence and hatred are not permitted. Furthermore, the Goverments of the day need to enact laws as regards the prohibition of incitement of violence and hatred which is put on-line on any platform. Any notion that is dangerous for society as a whole should be monitored and appropriate action should be taken to counter it.
