Our blurred reality of social media

Social media can be used to share your reaction on Michael Olunga’s latest goal for Harambee Stars. Social media can be used to persuade the Afghani youth not join Al-Qaeda. Social media can be used to promote your business. Social media can be used to share your thoughts on the new Iphone X. Social media can also be used to spread propaganda about “crooked” Hillary Clinton during the American elections. Social media can be used to leak photos of politicians and celebrities; directly invading their privacy and causing them loss and embarrassment.

Social media is a life changing technological advancement that can be used for good or as a tool to cause harm. 

Patrick Ogola; Partner at O&M Law Advocates, in relation to the impact of social media on family says; “A platform should be created where parents are taught about the different trending modes of social media so that they can be educated enough to guide their children. We have manuals that teach us how to use a phone and a laptop but no one teaches you internet etiquette or the possible negative blow back of exposing your life on social media.

As parents we can’t teach what we don’t know; and this is why its easier to just ban internet use all togerher”.

Sagar Salva, Product Manager, Google Artificial Intelligence Research Group, on the other hand says “blocking off social media platforms from your kids and making the topic taboo results in more bad than good. Parents need to have conversations with their kids and openly educate them about the different aspects and effects of social media.”                                     

Social Media platforms were created to connect us; but we need to be aware that they can very easily be weaponized. We all need to know that all the glitters may not be what it seems and we need to remain guarded as we chat with our friends or share vacation photos that may later be manipulated  to tell a different story.

People have connected and fallen in love on social media; others have connected and gotten kidnapped and robbed. Social Media has helped bring people together; it has helped families stay in contact even when separated by thousands of kilometers; it has created jobs and opportunities for programmers, data service providers and marketing influencers; people are able to spread good and bad news in an instant and culture’s from around the world have been able to blend.This is our blurred reality; it is here…but it’s not always real.