Social Media as a tool for positive change

By Winston Muleba II 

In the recent past former  Permanent Secretary of information and broadcasting services, Emmanuel Mwamba challenged the public media institutions to be innovative and register a strong online presence to give credible information to the public. He further said the poor online showing had led to private media to provide wrong information to the public especially young ones.at a web technology planning workshop for public media personnel. At the same workshop Mr. Mwamba said Zambia’s population was dominated by young people who had embraced new technology of accessing information and that they should be furnished with correct information (Times of Zambia, dated 3^rd October, 2013).

Technology has significantly changed the way in which young people interact with one another and the world around them. The majority of youths use the internet or a mobile phone to source information, engage and construct and maintain social networks. Technologies have dramatically transformed young people’s relationships with one another, their families and communities. The primary uses of the most popular Social Network Services include updating one’s own profile; posting a message on a friend’s wall, commenting on photo or video content of their own or others, posting photos or video content, joining a group and playing games .

The use of Social Networking Services such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com has become a popular and integral part of everyday communication in Zambia and most youths are particularly enthusiastic users. The vast majority is engaging on a daily basis with SNS via a computer or mobile phone. 

Facebook, twitter and other Social Network have different sets of activities that drive users to choose one over the other. MySpace and Facebook are used primarily to keep up with friends. Twitter is used to inform other people of one’s doings and my Yearbook is primarily to meet new people to mention but a few. The Social networking services are increasingly popular amongst young people regardless of geographical location, background and age and Zambian youths are unexceptional.  However, these sites, which can be accessed both by computer and mobile phone, are in all likelihood to reshape much of young people's local and global communication with significant real-world consequences both positive and negative

The impact of social networking sites in Zambians and overseas, particularly for young people, has been significant. Facebook, twitter and some other social network services are important social tool and activity for many young people if used in a purposefully manner. These Online social networking have the potential to bridge divides, open up new horizons for young people, encourage creativity and create massive opportunities for learning, collaboration and innovation. SNS also creates new spaces where young people may be at risk and need both to be protected, and need to be equipped to respond to and navigate risk.

Online social networking presents many opportunities to young people by making it easier for them to, amongst other things: publish creative works to local and global audiences; stay in touch and communicate with peers; find and interact with people with shared interests; Organize and co-ordinate political engagement and action; for virtual volunteering; and to engage in self-expression.

Tweeting on twitter is considered one of the fastest broadcast strategies to alert young people to topics of interest, without using expensive advertisements. Tweeting is propelled through popularity of the consumer base. if one group of young people sign up to receive tweets from an organization promoting good mental health for instance and others important matters, they can then retweet the message to their own twitter followers, thus creating a ‘viral’ spread of the message a cost-effective way searching for opportunities to youths, for the reason that it enables connection and enables better ways of building partnerships and sharing information, helping to overcome a life challenge through coaching they get from various counselors, motivators, innovators, creators and many more people on SNS. Some youths especially those in the marketing business they have capitalized on these networks for advertising their products and services. Many youths are now using websites and social networking for services promotion and advertising.

Some weeks ago I was impressed to see one Zambian youths post in a Facebook group called employment opportunities where this guy confirmed that he got a job at a certain hotel because of the advert which was posted in the said group. I assume this guy was using facebook on a basis of looking for a job and eventually he succeeded. Websites are now a basic requirement for organizations that want to promote their services and provide information to young people. A website can be a simple site providing contact details or it can be a comprehensive portal providing access to a range of information, powerful applications, and interactive services. It is through such sites that some youths chance opportunities which include scholarships, employments, products etc. Other sites provide tailored information to a particular audience while overcoming some of the most basic of barriers to traditional pathways of information access such as time constraints and service hours. Websites for young people often feature sections for fact sheets and frequently asked questions, these come as opportunities to those browse with a good motivate. 

Lately publication Medias in Zambia which include Times of Zambia, Zambia daily mail, Lusaka times among others, provide latest news via facebook through their pages. Customer relations services for companies like Airtel Zambia, Zamtel and MTN Zambia have also extended their services to social network services so as to reach out to their subscribers.

Some other Young people tend to perceive YouTube clips as more accurate, up to date and trustworthy than static web page posts or emails. The production of YouTube videos for education, narrative-based accounts of personal stories, and youth engagement in promoting health and other services is a worthwhile opportunity. I have noted with happiness that some youths who are on long distance studies have actually taken advantage of YouTube short videos for lectures in various programmes, in the same line, some youths offer consultancy services using guides from you tube videos.

There is evidence of a broad range of benefits to young people associated with the use of SNS, the significant benefits associated with the use of SNS include: delivering formal educational outcomes, facilitating supportive relationships, identity formation, promoting a sense of belonging and self-esteem, Media Literacy, Informal Education and Learning, Creativity, Individual Identity and Self-Expression, Strengthening Social Relationships, Belonging and Collective Identity, Building and Strengthening Communities, Civic and Political Participation, Self-Efficacy and Wellbeing. Other sites engage young people in social action, facilitate participation in research, and encourage participation within their communities. Hence provide a platform for sharing young people’s creative efforts, or for enabling young people to have a public voice on issues that affect them. Online social networking also offers the potential for new forms of online outreach work or for working with groups with shared interests from across a wide geographical area (e.g. online work with socially excluded young people, young people from rural areas.

Facebook, twitter and other social network are not of benefit to everyone therefore they have advantages and disadvantages, having talked about benefits above I then deem it necessary to highlight some of the risk of using social network services. The focus on risk and protecting children and young people from harm is often based on concerns that most young people lack awareness of the public nature of the internet .In addition to the threat of abuse, some people fear that young people’s use of SNS can compromise the development and maintenance of supportive friendships and involvement in institutions traditionally understood as the embodiment of, communities’ namely school, sports clubs, families etc. These concerns have dominated both public debate and policy-making in recent years. However, online social networking exposes young people to new risks. Risks from:  inappropriate content; commercialism and unsuitable advertising; inappropriate or offensive conduct on Social Network Services; criminal activities such as identity theft; and inappropriate contact (online and offline) from strangers – which may include grooming and in the most serious cases, sexual abuse. Online social networking is not a distinct activity, but it has become part of day to day life, communication and interaction with peers and it is realized that most of the youths spend more time online doing unproductive things, Among other risks include; copyright infringement, privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, defamation and activity which constitutes criminal acts including harassment and posting offensive material.

Concerns about the safety of young people online are very real. Certainly, social networking has brought issues like online ‘grooming’ of children and cyber bullying to the fore. However, if we manage the risks effectively, positive outcomes can flow from social networking including participation in community, educational, cultural, creative, self-expression, social development and health opportunities .I also pose a reminder to my fellow youths that social network services are time wasting if you use them for a wrong purpose and above all they contain useful and useless information thus be mindful of what you browse. 

To end on a serious note let us be mindful of our postings and commentaries on social networks services. A life coach and motivation speaker, Mubita Nawa once wrote on his facebook page that facebook has now become part of peoples CV’s this means that profiles on social networks services should portray our dignities.