A few years ago the World Wide Web of seven continents and oceans, covering millions of miles on land and sea was suddenly reduced into what is today known as “a global village”, contrary of the invention, discovery and introduction of the internet a household mega tool of the information technology that has shattered the different barriers of time, space, and language.
The introduction of the internet or rather Information Technology along with its uncountable usages and benefits; has reduced the stresses of long distance, tedious and dangerous travels by land, sea and air. It has reduced costs and made education, information, trade, communication and a host of several applications readily available and easily accessible with the coming on board of the use of Information Technology.
A few decades ago, the world heralded it with hilarious fanfare as if man has achieved the ultimate thus reaching his goal and geared for God to rest in the promised city of Eldorado or paradise where there is no pains, worries, struggles, sweat and bitterness. With the use of the new internet and devices one can now or own or acquire what he desires by a click of the mouse on a computer or the mobile phone.
Through Information Technology today, it has become “life made easy” for mankind that man has begun to question the existence of God since he can do anything through use of the internet but not including life. As a matter of fact, the discovery of the internet has raised greater questions about life. It is an axiom that every coin has two sides and every effect has its defects.
Looking at the so-called developed world today and developing ones with the use or application of the internet mainly the social media, one can see reasons why the creator in the Bible destroyed the Tower of Babel to stop mankind from speaking with one tongue and attempting to chase Him out of Heaven. It is obvious that internet especially the social media has done great beneficial things to man but its numerous side effects are gradually ending the human society and may end up destroying mankind.
The rate at which Information Technology came into our society and organizations uncontrolled and unchecked, invading our homes that man has no privacy again may reduce us to animals of the jungle.
As said earlier, the social media has broken barriers that man, society and countries presently have no secrets or limitations to what he can do. Today, we travel overseas learn trade, marry, and perform all forms of social vices on the internet regardless of age, class or religion. A typical example of the negative impact of the internet and social media is the current ongoing reality show on television where sex activities and other immoral practices are beamed and downloaded into our homes for enfants, as our way of life.
Tell me of any child of school age in Nigeria today who is not conversant with pornography or secondary cum tertiary student that practices robbery through internet fraud. The unguided and uncontrolled use of the social media if not checked on time is a time bomb waiting to destroy the developing world particularly Nigeria.
Quite recently, the nation was on the verge of being plunged into chaos catastrophy or ethnicity wars as a result of the now notorious “hate speech” propagated through the social media. The government suddenly woke up to realize rather late the damage hate speech through social media, has done to our nation. This medium and other conventional media in the country had previously called on government in the country to control and check the use of social media in the country with all forms of evils and vices that our younger generation is engulfed in today including cyber examination malpractices and so on.
There is no doubt that those in authority who are politicians have been perfecting the application of the internet cum social media for their gains in future political activities including hacking electoral manipulations to their selfish ends. But let us quickly warn that a stitch in time saves nine and what tastes sweet and palatable today may be wine bitter and deadly tomorrow.
Let the federal and state government, religious leaders, traditional rulers and cultural institutions as well as the National Communication Council (NCC) wake up before the new invention overtake us and destroy us.
There is no absolute freedom in creation and a society without rules and guidelines is doomed to destruction. Preserve and protect our people from bombardment if on unwarranted and unwanted information, they lead to misunderstanding, confusion, aversion, and destruction. The social media has come to help us, let us not allow it to destroy us.
The way to go is how to emulate the developed and decent societies who have done everything humanly possible to provide safe nets for their enfants and youths by engaging them usefully such that they are hardly distracted by mere sex games.
