Anti-social social media

By Eriya Nawenuwe and Humphrey Wampula

Researchers have found that the middle-school, high school and college students who used Facebook at least once in a 15-minute period, get lower grades overall

The Good Side; Well, on Facebook, Twitter and other sites, you can search for and connect with your long lost buddies. It is as easy as looking their names up in the search box and there they will be; well only if they still use the names that you know. Yes, Mark (Zuckerburg) wanted communication among buddies made easier, so he also came up with chat and instant messaging.

What’s even doper, is that you can become anyone’s ‘friend.’ With a click of a button you can send ‘friend requests’ and hundreds of strangers will be your ‘friends’ as soon as they accept your request. Well, at least now the words ‘global village’ make sense.

It is true that by being on social media, you can catch up with what is happening in the world. Facebook has made many wannabes’ fantasies and dreamy girls’ illusions come true. It has created such a perfect virtual world, where your local clown can open up an account as the country’s Mzee-H.E the President!

Where that sad ­ figure of a babe in your class can pose in the names of Amber Rose or Eva Mendez, complete with random pic downloaded from Google. But there is a good side to this? ‑ is way, peeps who feel unappreciated have free 24-hour therapy to save them from that suicidal drug overdose due to denial.

­The Bad Side;

Updating your status, uploading photos and getting a comment on stuff that you post online is the in thing. Let’s pick out one common scene that will make you scratch your head in guilt. Just how many times do you labour your hands to hold up that smart phone (…regardless of size) and flash its light into your face much to the annoyance of those around you.

You then tweet and update all your social apps with those pics. Just how often do you put your phone on charge, but still cling onto it with all excitement and eagerness as you read comments flowing down your last post? So you see? You just scratched your head!

The scary fact is, though it’s now not as scary anymore, you are getting addicted! And that comes with a line of effects, like wasting lots of valuable time, lack of attention in class and to your physical surrounding right there as you post that update. Goodness, peeps are so addicted they are checking updates and noti­fications while on the road, with no regard for cars and road signs! What a quick way to lose a precious life – got hit while tweeting?

According to sociallyactive.com, the negative effects of being this ‘plugged in’ are beginning to take effect on young people. Because social interaction comes overwhelmingly online rather than face-to-face, the youth are showing severe lack of social skills. They are often more comfortable with technology than they are talking to real people. ‑ They have no proper communication and conversation skills and have no idea how to deal with real interpersonal situations.

Researchers have found that the middle-school, high school and college students who used Facebook at least once in a 15-minute period, get lower grades overall. In some schools like Mary hill, the Internet was banned because of Facebook.

For the day scholars, just ponder the amount of money you spend in Internet cafes . Or perhaps even buying credit for data. It won’t be a surprise if the word MBs is listed as slang in one of our issues one of these days.

Online world safety is very similar to offline or real world safety. It is very important not to talk to just anyone you don’t know and don’t post personally identi­fiable information. Did you know that there are stalkers on Facebook ready to pounce on any unsuspecting guys and babes?

And that is such a rhetorical question. But yes, you guessed right! Not all virtual friends are good, because you hardly know any of them. Be careful with who you meet and get in touch with on Facebook. Some babes have been raped by dudes they met on Facebook.

A special case in point, ­The Kampala Sun recently reported about a pedophile and rapist who was arrested after one of his ‘missions’ went wrong. This con of a dude operated under both male and female facebook accounts. Word of mouth though, when posting pictures from the latest party or endless updates about ‘What’s on your mind?’, you should beware that what you put on facebook or any other platform could make or break your future.

Most of the stuff, once posted or uploaded, is viewed, shared and downloaded by many!  That nude pic could cost you your dream job! That pic of you holding a bottle of liquor could cost you a political position in future! ‑ at erotic update could embarrass you during that campaign. Embrace social media, but be aware and be mindful.

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