Winner: Somadina Anyaefiena
Social media is a widely used information and communication tool in today’s society. It is used everywhere in the world by youths, adults, children, and business organizations for many purposes. From the word ‘social’ it is easy to understand that it is a ground for interaction between people of ages that differ. Social media is so rapidly used presently that many individuals and organizations have forgotten that this medium of communication has its advantages and disadvantages. Social media has many negative impacts in our world today that have now overshadowed its positive impacts.
A place that was once for communication and interaction and useful information has now been taken over by scammers as a site for cybercrimes popularly known by Nigerians as “Yahoo.” Youths put up fake profiles, accounts, and numbers and chat with individuals to scam them by robbing them of their money. Despite the government trying to curb these ongoing crimes, large numbers of people become victims each day.
Many believe that social media is a site for advertising products and boosting sales and services and take little or no heed to the warnings of others. About 70% of people in the county have been deceived with fake accounts and every year the number increases. The utilization of social media as a marketplace creates an environment for deceitful business owners to profit.
A deterrent for social media usage is that children with an inferiority complex find it difficult to cope when their peers and friends post online. They feel “less than” and will isolate themselves more due to a lack of self-confidence. They also get pressured and influenced by influencers online into doing or partaking in acts that may be dangerous.
Social media is much more of an influencer than peers, friends, and groups in society.
Sex, Nudity, Language, Violence are all things that are found on social media sites. These things distract adolescents from their studies and their education. Often they get addicted to these sites. They are influenced to perform violent and dangerous acts that destroy society and damage property and the image of the families of such children. Youths have become distracted from their education and have taken cover with criminal activities and groups. It is also from these media that bad habits are formed. Youth partake in these harmful activities because of the false news or information that has been displayed regarding their actions. Social media is much more of an influencer than peers, friends, and groups in society.
Yes, social media is undoubtedly the most popular medium of communication and probably one of the most important but youths of this generation have nullified the positive usage of this information and communication tools.
Yes, social media is undoubtedly the most popular medium of communication and probably one of the most important but youths of this generation have nullified the positive usage of this information and communication tools. However, the youths cannot be entirely blamed. As the proverb states “The Devil finds works for Idle Hands. ” Due to the low job offers in the country, many look to social media as a place to easily make money.
Social media boasts advantages such as; Students can go online for research work, Individuals can enjoy entertainment through their phones, communicating with the ones they love their peers and friends in different parts of the world, and locating others during a crisis is made very easy. It would be difficult to shut down or bring an end to social media and stop its disadvantages.
It is indeed impossible to stop criminal or misleading facts and acts on social media. Therefore, I believe that the only way to end these acts is to heed the warning and beware of any suspicious activities, and to report to EFCC in case of such activities around you.
A.G. Project 