Best practices for the social media
By Niran Adedokun
As much as I try, it has remained impossible for me to get over the unceasing encroachment of the new media on not just the traditional media but the totality of our lives. This new phenomenon, also known as the social media is perhaps the most potent instrument in the actualisation of Marshall McLuhan’s idea of the global village.
In two books, The Making of Typographic Man and Understanding Media both of which he wrote in the 1960s, McLuhan noted that electric technology would compact the world into a village. At a time when the worldwide web did not exist, this Canadian communication theorist predicted the simultaneous and spontaneous transition of information to every part of the globe with electric speed. I do not think anything else lends credence to his philosophy more than the incidence of the internet and various innovations that have culminated in what we now refer to as the social media.
In actual fact, things have not been the same since the advent of the worldwide web. It has pervaded our lives, influenced our perception of sundry things and even dictates how we relate with one another. There is so much information available about just anything and everything, almost with the liberality with which we breathe. The social media have grown with equal rapidity such that every single human being with any device like a phone set could influence any number of people with whom s/he is connected on Facebook, twitter, myspace, LinkedIn, Instagram and millions of blogs which exist all over the world. However, with the opportunities it present for everyone to ventilate opinion, also comes a demand for social responsibility, a front on which most users of this new media come short.
Being user-driven and devoid of the filtering skills of an editor, the new media is intrusive and often prone to abuse of ethical standards which are essential to the credibility and respect of the media. Just a few days ago, I saw a tweet in which a young Nigerian said something like “niggas like you should be dead” to a former Vice President, and I wondered if access to the social media should make a man lose every sense of decency and respect for the dignity of the other person, talk less of a former vice president for that matter. I consider that to be an anomaly and hold to the opinion that new media users should aspire to understand best practices which show respect for the medium and his contacts on the platform.
It is important for users of the new media, for example, to avoid the use of abusive, vulgar, disrespectful or obscene language. Users of the new media must endeavour to respect the cultural and religious inclinations of others and avoid every derogates from the personality of any other person
There is also the need to ensure the accuracy of information that is passed on social media. Because of the viral nature of the platforms, information should be verified and verifiable before they are shared on any of these networks. We must get all the facts right before we post the information. True, most of these platforms provide for immediate retraction or deletion of information supplied but we must be conscious of the fact that one or two contacts may go ahead and share this information before we are able to delete them.
I have also found that objectivity is not a strong point for many users of the social media platforms. The demand of social responsibility to report not just the truth but the fact of the truth is something that a lot of users of these platforms do not readily have time for.
Users of the new media must also avoid spreading rumours and unconfirmed information. It is important to avoid these because of the incredible speed at which news on the social media travels. The temptation to want to share some “breaking news” with our friends and contacts before we confirm its veracity is one of the present and existent things that we must avoid as we make use of any social media platform.
Although the social media gives its user some measure of anonymity, I am of the opinion that every user of these platforms owes it to him/herself and the society a great deal of duty to be responsible and pursue the greater good. Adherents of the social media should strive to pursue the virtues of fairness, truthfulness, balance and independence which are traditional media ethics. Even as the social media allows appreciable liveliness by the shortening of the distance between the “reporter” and his audience, tweeters, bloggers and all social media users should work towards attaining the best usages of their platforms. I rest my case.
