The Mob of Social Media…Cyber-hyenas, Cyber-vandals, Character assassins Invade Internet’
* Lament: ‘Rampaging crowd in Cyberspace opposite of Mark Zuckerberg’
*Regrets: ‘I’m sure Facebook owner will be mortified how Nigerians fouled his platform’
BY BAYO ONANUGA, MD, News Agency of Nigeria
LYNCH-MOB, cyber-hyenas, cyber-vandals, character assassins: this is the motley crowd that has seized Nigeria’s social media space, either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. It is a mob and functions like any other mob, pouncing on targets, remorselessly, twisting your words to achieve a preconceived end.
The rampaging crowd in cyberspace is the opposite of what Mark Zuckerberg and co have in mind in creating communication networks to link friends or people with common interests.
Judging by my experience in the last 72 hours, I am no longer surprised why many decent people either closed their accounts on the various platforms or have become inactive.
No sane, decent person can truly condone the vicious band of assassins always on the prowl, looking for preys to desecrate and mutilate, all because the victims’ viewpoint does not tally with their jaundiced position.
I am sure that Zuckerberg will be mortified about how Nigerians have fouled his platform and Twitter. They are now nests of uncouth, ill-mannered, hate-filled Nigerians.
Fellow Nigerians, we cannot all think one-way. We cannot all think alike. I have the inalienable right to have a different idea from yours. And that in civilised societies does not call for the unbridled umbrage that my posts have attracted and the unwarranted attacks against my child. Good morning!.
A clear cut distinction between social media and traditional journalism is one is precisely handled by professionals while the other is saddled with different types of persons; professionals in different fields, highly educated and half educated, unemployed and employed, adults and juvenile minded adult and all sort of sandwiches. However, any journalist who wants to be on sociamedia should have the above understanding and tolerate what comes to his page. There are some you will comment on and there are some you will ignore. We cannot because of words that are not complimentary to us bridle the Facebook a mistakes. Surely the positive side of Facebook is more than the negative. Mark Zuckerberg is in right position to confirm this. He knows what he has raked to the bank from this beautiful initiative called Facebook. The best way to run a Facebook page is to be mindful who you chose as friends, participates only in reasonable discussion. Contribute to better understanding of issues. And let your output be as positive as possibly expected.