The inception of social media and its wide spread popularity has caused a digital revolution with great impact on social communication and life style globally. The intensity of social media influence gives rise to a clear comprehension of the world as a global village. An important unique feature of social media is its nature of universality. The social media has been observed to be useful across different field of endeavors such as health, entertainment, business and finance, science and technology, social interaction and current affairs. However, despite the positive contributions of the social media, many concerned public enthusiasts have questioned the true extent of social media positivity in our society. With the common understanding that whatever has an advantage also has a disadvantage, some persons have developed the notion that the negativity of the social media out weights its positivity. Others would say, the disadvantage and advantage of social media is dependent on its application.
Whatever may be the case, a close scrutiny on the usage of social media today present a fact that there is indeed the proliferation of corruptible and negative contents on the social media. It is even more appalling to know that parts of those who promote such decadence are those who ought to be more enlightened on good value system. One major vice that has become the flash point of attraction is the advent of nudity and promiscuity on social media. On this background, we see how indecency is highly celebrated rather than sanity. A case study is the recent trend on social media code named Silhouette challenge. It is an avenue that let people display all forms of nude expressions in dark shadow. Such act is unhealthy and harmful for public consumption especially for children. In the state of bewilderment, I imagined how someone could sit down majestically and come up with such agenda. It is an agenda that promotes moral insanity but good influence.
A disturbing factor about social media is its lack of censorship on contents. Unlike the regular electronic media that gives room for check and balance on viewing contents. The social media is so popular that it is even within the reach of under aged children and immature minds that can get easily corrupted and badly influenced by negative trends such as the Silhouette challenge. Furthermore, the increased number of social media enthusiast that such trend commands shows the level of poor orientation on moral and decent values in our society.
On daily basis, the social media has become a platform that some persons use to exploit their moral weaknesses. And when one courageously speaks up against such irregularities, that person becomes a subject of ridicule. We live in a world where people do whatever they like without thoughtful regard for the mental and psychological wellness of their neighbor. The normalization of nudity and other related tendencies on social media is been encouraged by a segment of the society and that is why it is gaining ground. All in the name of entertainment we drag our moral sanity and dignity to the mud without remorse. Now, the society is bedeviled with so much atrocities and one of the contributors is the bad influence of social media.
Ordinarily, the social media is a viable tool for connecting the world as a whole; all thanks to technology. The true worth of social media can only be felt when it is properly used and channeled to enhance social and common good. Therefore, there is need for a rapid advocacy campaign on the promotion of social media etiquette. We should not allow the value system of the society undermined because of pleasurable excitement that has weak gains. The youths should be more enlightened against the idea that one can become popular or famous through nudity and sexual antics on social media. Instead, let our popularity on social media be based on constructive and creative contents, which can bring about social and mental development of the human mind.
The only way to do so is by allowing the standard of etiquette to guide your usage of social media. This will allow for productive use of the platform. Without social media etiquette, the reign of immoral and indecent trends such as nudity will continue to thrive as a normal occurrence. The common saying “Where there is no law, there is no sin or offence” gives us a good understanding of this discuss. Dear readers, let us make common sense from this discuss by discouraging the embrace of nudity and indecent trends on social media personally and collectively to promote an ecosystem of good values.
Victor Okonjo is a student of Computer Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure. He has a keen drive in the creative expression of thought and ideas through the Pen. He can be reached at okonjovico@gmail.com
