{UAH} social media is becoming the source of all societal ills and the hate-filled contents
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4:13 AM |
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By Merjeed F Anguiza
By a Concerned Ugandan
As we come closer to 2021 elections, some groups are competing in who would present a better alternative, some of them are using dangerous methods that do not only undermine other people's rights but put the entire national security in jeopardy. Social media is now their new weapon; thanks to Universal Primary Education–many can use their keyboards.
People power supporters are competing in spreading false news like their life depends on it or on their way to win a gold medal and they are destroying their friends' reputation, country`s image like they are just tourists in Uganda just passing through and when you attempt to caution them, you get the bashing. They are so convinced that the hatred they are spreading will catapult their chosen man into power, however, they need to know that even if the entire world on social media was to vote for them they would still not come close.
Another thing is that they will need the same people they are demonizing and whose image they are destroying in case they were to win the 2021 elections.
And since Social media has no rule and regulations, no need for accuracy and transparency provided one can access the internet and an enabling gadget, they have easily eroded social morals and destroyed our social fabrics, without caring much as long as one gets likes and comments we are ready to go.
The seeming free society created by social media is currently being misused at the expense of our national security and we are not bothered at all, this uncultured people have turned the platform to, sometimes, a battlefield for contending groups or individuals.
This dimension has no doubt, sought to serve as a major drawback for this emerging social platform. The privacy offered by social media networks has given this group an opportunity to hide behind their computers and mobile phone screens to post all sorts of inflammatory words against one another, with no control, our leaders are insulted and we have used this new media to abuse and disrespect our leaderships, and those we seem not to agree with socially, politically, culturally, religiously or economically, each one of us is right in his own way and the rest can go hang.
Now, many users have deliberately posted silly comments just because they cannot be traced and made to face the consequences of their statements, and those that have somehow been nabbed have used the line of freedom of information and expression and you can't punish them beyond caution so that the rest can be deterred.
It is so disheartening to see and read what we post on a daily basis about our fellow citizens, their families, and kin, how we cherish those telling blatant lies on the social media and go scorch free.
The social media is becoming the source of all societal ills and the hate-filled contents that this group keeps posting against those we have political or social disagreements with are pitting some groups against others, and they have now created a "we'' "they" syndrome that is soon graduating into xenophobia and if we are not careful we may not have the capacity to stop the violence that may come as a result and this, unfortunately, it will not spare us all, both the perpetrators and the targeted.
Social media was weaponized in countries like Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, in Venezuela, France (yellow jackets), Hong Kong, as a way of toppling governments. Some elements here in Uganda also are attempting to replicate this to make the ruling governments unpopular and even topple it if possible, so in that way, they are promoting fake news and fanning its spread. They don't mind about the contents being spread and their repercussions to the peace and security of the country.
Yes, social media is very important to us all as a tool of communication and keeping in touch and sharing of ideas among ourselves at the cheapest cost possible, but the way this group is misusing this tool may require governments to come up and regulate how the content posted.
There is, therefore, a need for the Government to harness online social networking tools and in equal measure monitor them in the event it threatens national security, and monitor the threats of social media technology to Uganda's national security. Otherwise, we are doomed as a country.
--
-- By a Concerned Ugandan
As we come closer to 2021 elections, some groups are competing in who would present a better alternative, some of them are using dangerous methods that do not only undermine other people's rights but put the entire national security in jeopardy. Social media is now their new weapon; thanks to Universal Primary Education–many can use their keyboards.
People power supporters are competing in spreading false news like their life depends on it or on their way to win a gold medal and they are destroying their friends' reputation, country`s image like they are just tourists in Uganda just passing through and when you attempt to caution them, you get the bashing. They are so convinced that the hatred they are spreading will catapult their chosen man into power, however, they need to know that even if the entire world on social media was to vote for them they would still not come close.
Another thing is that they will need the same people they are demonizing and whose image they are destroying in case they were to win the 2021 elections.
And since Social media has no rule and regulations, no need for accuracy and transparency provided one can access the internet and an enabling gadget, they have easily eroded social morals and destroyed our social fabrics, without caring much as long as one gets likes and comments we are ready to go.
The seeming free society created by social media is currently being misused at the expense of our national security and we are not bothered at all, this uncultured people have turned the platform to, sometimes, a battlefield for contending groups or individuals.
This dimension has no doubt, sought to serve as a major drawback for this emerging social platform. The privacy offered by social media networks has given this group an opportunity to hide behind their computers and mobile phone screens to post all sorts of inflammatory words against one another, with no control, our leaders are insulted and we have used this new media to abuse and disrespect our leaderships, and those we seem not to agree with socially, politically, culturally, religiously or economically, each one of us is right in his own way and the rest can go hang.
Now, many users have deliberately posted silly comments just because they cannot be traced and made to face the consequences of their statements, and those that have somehow been nabbed have used the line of freedom of information and expression and you can't punish them beyond caution so that the rest can be deterred.
It is so disheartening to see and read what we post on a daily basis about our fellow citizens, their families, and kin, how we cherish those telling blatant lies on the social media and go scorch free.
The social media is becoming the source of all societal ills and the hate-filled contents that this group keeps posting against those we have political or social disagreements with are pitting some groups against others, and they have now created a "we'' "they" syndrome that is soon graduating into xenophobia and if we are not careful we may not have the capacity to stop the violence that may come as a result and this, unfortunately, it will not spare us all, both the perpetrators and the targeted.
Social media was weaponized in countries like Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, in Venezuela, France (yellow jackets), Hong Kong, as a way of toppling governments. Some elements here in Uganda also are attempting to replicate this to make the ruling governments unpopular and even topple it if possible, so in that way, they are promoting fake news and fanning its spread. They don't mind about the contents being spread and their repercussions to the peace and security of the country.
Yes, social media is very important to us all as a tool of communication and keeping in touch and sharing of ideas among ourselves at the cheapest cost possible, but the way this group is misusing this tool may require governments to come up and regulate how the content posted.
There is, therefore, a need for the Government to harness online social networking tools and in equal measure monitor them in the event it threatens national security, and monitor the threats of social media technology to Uganda's national security. Otherwise, we are doomed as a country.
--
"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"
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