TMCnet News
The Other Side of Facebook [opinion]Jun 28, 2011 (Leadership/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Facebook has been applauded by many for its huge networking potential. But it could also be a source of destruction - turning some into social networking addicts, creating avenues for stalking, hacking into accounts and getting too involved with unknown people. In this report, Hauwa Mahmud Kolo and Bode Gbadebo write on the negative side of Facebook. Facebook is an online social networking directory that connects people with friends, family, colleagues, past acquaintances and the world at large. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos and learn more about numerous things through the people they meet. In spite of the various benefits derivable from Facebook and its wide acceptability cutting across social classes, this report, however, provides some food for thought. From relating with a number of 'facebookers', it was found that Facebook has gone beyond being just a social networking site, as it now facilitates many vices. Benjamin James (not real name), a middle-aged man said, "My daughter was tracked three months ago. She met someone on Facebook, someone who was a common friend of a friend of hers. They started chatting - at first it was in the morning, then it became at night - until she told him where she lives and one night, there he is outside our home. He had been watching her for about two months until he attacked her. She was lucky enough not to be raped, but she learnt a lesson for a lifetime," he narrates. Another middle-aged man, Simon Burns (not real name), said that his son's grades had been deteriorating since he opened a Facebook account. "He is spending too much time on it, more than what he used to spend on video games and there is not much I can do, because he sees me doing the same on Saturday mornings. "While I could be doing more important tasks, I find myself surfing and browsing on Facebook. That is not an example to teach your children, because they will find justification to follow suit." Apparently, as soon as Facebook got into business, people deliriously engaged the new way of communication. Trying out new things that evolve in the world is a sign of progress. However, with Facebook, some people's behaviour seems to have changed drastically. They feel the urge to share everything that happens in their lives with their contacts through constant status updates. Young Amina Maina (not real name) relates the joy she derives from Facebook. "When you post your thoughts, you expect people to comment and when the comment comes you smile and feel happy if you like it, but it could be annoying when it isn't what you expected. "What intrigues me about Facebook is that all of a sudden, complete strangers are important to you and their comments leverage your value as a person. And unconsciously you classify people into 'good' and 'bad' without even knowing them. "Your profile page is full of information about you; who you are, where you work, your favourite music, your favourite movies, books and TV series, what are your religious and political beliefs, your studies and your interests. As a matter of fact, you share too much information with other people who are total strangers. Some Facebook users even post their home addresses and phone numbers," Maina said. Experts advise on the need for regulation and caution on Facebook. A cleric, Reverend Omobolaji Owoade of the First Baptist Church Funtua, Katsina State, said "Facebook is a good innovation with the potential to have both positive and negative impact; therefore it must be used with caution. Teenagers and young adults should not use Facebook for illicit acts; it should be seen as a medium for decent socialisation, enlightenment and sharing of constructive ideas." An Islamic cleric, Malam Kabeer Mohammed agreed with Owoade, saying, "If Facebook could be used as a tool for righteousness by enlightening people on morality, the fear of God, and sincerity, I think it would go a long way in helping this generation. But where you find youths posting immoral pictures and exchanging dirty messages, it simply means they are not using it positively, which in the long run, will pose a threat to the society." An Abuja-based journalist, David James, thinks the freedom on Facebook is too much. "The way Facebook is going with our teeming literate youths being so involved, coupled with the unlimited freedom attached to it, I fear for tomorrow. Government needs to intervene in terms of checking the excesses exhibited by Facebook adherents, because if the needed regulation is not put in place, we may have a big problem on our hands in the nearest future." According to a programme officer with Pan-Africa Development Education & Advocacy Programme (PADEAP), Mr. Shola Babadiya, "Facebook can be seen as an integral part of ICT, and you know the role of ICT in e-learning and communication, but the fact that it is used without censorship is not good enough. It is no doubt a good revolution for the ICT world, because it is really enhancing computer literacy, the only constraint is that it doesn't have any form of control and this is indeed undesirable," Babadiya explains. Mr. Ahmad Adebayo, principal of Wisdom International College Funtua, said, "Facebook fosters understanding and provides a medium for online discussion with friends both near and in distant places, sharing personal experiences with them and keeping abreast with what other people are into. But there must be restraint on the part of users to forestall abuse of the social network, because inasmuch as it has a positive side, it could also be hazardous to the society." |