2023 is an election year in Nigeria. It is a crucial year as it marks a year of transition in government. It marks a year of a new beginning. And any new beginning brings its share of optimism and expectations of bigger and better things. And 2023 is no different. From the family homes to business houses and the corridors of power, 2023 has arrived with similar optimism and expectations for greater achievements, success and prosperity.
Happily, President Muhammadu Buhari has given hope to this year, reassuring that everyone can look ahead as a nation, and a community with confidence. But as the 2023 general elections draw near, the extent of untrustworthy information on social media is concerning. And something needs to be done to tackle the menace.
Of course, Nigeria has been through very tough times, and there are challenges that remain as we inch towards the February 2023 General elections. There is a greater need for online news outlets and social media users to take responsibility, just as there is need for more infrastructure development and social services delivery by government in the states and local government areas.
Of course, social media help us share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. But our information system, some say, is polluted. Every day, misleading stories, schemes, fabricated images and videos travel via our information streams online.
In fact, we live in an age of information disorder, an age where we see people deliberately pushing out false information; this is known as disinformation. When this content is shared further by people online who don’t realise it is false or misleading, this is what many call misinformation.
These agents of disinformation are only successful because we have a tendency to mindlessly share content without checking whether it is trustworthy or not. Without additional sharing and amplification, many rumours and conspiracies would wither and die. Cases involving slanderous comments against another is increasing. And it is time, social media users learn and take responsibility for what is posted.
Generally, when using social media, it is a common assumption that all users are solely responsible for their content – including posts, comments, likes, shares, tweets, and retweets, follows and favourites. Now many Nigerians who have smart phones are becoming more and more addicted to posting, tweeting, viewing, responding, opining, and sharing online—and what’s going to come of it all?
As a general rule, nothing on social media is private. And the extent of untrustworthy information on social media is so high. It gives cause for concern. The cause for concern is not surprising given that a good number of Nigerians rely heavily on social media for news.
Until the early years of the 21st century, crimes tended to be committed away from the eyes of the majority of society, with traditional media broadcasting information about them often on their own terms. Print media like newspapers build relationship with their readers based on reputation.
They establish this reputation by carefully checking information before publishing it. On social media, however, there are no editors, which allows all kind of content to spread without control.
While social media allows us to share our perspectives, ideas and concerns (as well as pictures of our favourite meals), the development of social media has also given rise to a new form of aggression. Cyber bullying is a very real phenomenon that can cause significant distress and psychological damage, especially to those most vulnerable among us. There have been numerous stories of young people who died by suicide after being severely bullied online.
Social media will most certainly continue to play a major role in our society for the foreseeable future and online conversations will continue to shape the attitudes, identities and behaviours of our children and their children. It is here to stay. Our job is to use it to enhance and improve our lives and to teach our children to do the same
There is little we can do to prevent people creating fake news or publishing disinformation. But those of us who use social media can take action to slow down its spread by becoming more aware of what we share. Government, too, should come down heavily of apostles of fake news to prevent them from creating troubles during and after the February 25th Presidential elections.
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