Refrain from social media misuse to safeguard freedoms

 

Apple iPhone 6s screen with social media icons applications Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram, Skype, Youtube, Snapchat. [Getty Images]

In the digital age, social media has become a double-edged sword. While it offers unparalleled opportunities for connection and creativity, it also provides a platform for actions that can disorient societal values and incite harm.

A recent warning from the government highlights an urgent need for youth to use social media responsibly since the consequences of misuse are grave not only for individuals but for the nation at large.

The authorities have warned the youth of the dangers of weaponising social media. On Friday, none other than President William Ruto drew attention to alarming incidents where images in coffins were circulated online — an act far from innocent satire.

Such actions, often dismissed as jokes or protests, are interpreted as threats to safety and dignity. The government has pledged to take decisive action against individuals using social media to intimidate or threaten others.

Parents, religious leaders and politicians have a duty to restore order, including in digital spaces. This challenge requires a collective responsibility, which extends to teachers and technology experts. President Ruto has also claimed that certain political figures were financing young people to produce and share disturbing images, effectively turning social media into a weapon of political propaganda.

While the youth should be encouraged to produce useful content on social media and even make money from it, there should be some decorum and ground rules. Content that is disrespectful, inciteful and harmful should be discouraged and even punished through the law.

The divisive actions not only promote a culture of violence but also degrade the value of human life, eroding the moral fabric of society. As digital tools become more accessible, their misuse amplifies anti-social behaviours, threatening the nation’s stability and moral integrity.

Young people must understand that the content they create and share has real-world implications. What may seem like a harmless joke or protest can quickly escalate into a harmful act with serious legal and ethical consequences. Those who misuse social media to issue threats or incite harm should be prosecuted in a court of law.

As a society, we must guide the youth toward responsible digital behaviour. Parents, educators and religious leaders play a crucial role in instilling values of respect and accountability. Social media should be a tool for empowerment and positive change, not a platform that encourages moral decay.

The misuse of social media is not only a threat to individuals but to the very fabric of our nation. It is time for the youth and Kenyans of goodwill to rise above the noise, reject destructive influences, and use digital platforms as instruments of unity and progress. Failure to do that we risk moral decay and divisive banter on the digital spaces.