Misuse of social media dangerous

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 13): All parties must cultivate the ethics of disseminating information to the public to avoid causing any negative impact, especially on sensitive issues related to religion and race.

Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) information chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan said that with the rapid and borderless spread of information today, it is difficult for anyone, including the government, to control it.

Therefore, he stressed every individual needs to be educated about the ethics, rules and laws regarding what can and cannot be shared with others.

“Today, social media is classified as a new medium in our lives. The development of digital technology has brought social media into the cyber world. This medium has also become a new form of interaction in society because it allows people to communicate without face-to-face interaction, existing in the virtual world.

“Social media also facilitates all kinds of transactions, whether personal or work-related. However, its existence without self-control can also pose a threat to society,” he said during the opening of the Gagasan Rakyat Sabah Information Workshop for Zones 11 & 12 (Lahad Datu, Semporna, Tawau and Kalabakan) at the De Choice Hotel in Tawau on Sunday.

Nizam said that if the information on social media is misused, it can lead to cybercrime, provocation, slander, propaganda and other actions that could spark conflict and division among the people, even bringing down a government.

In this regard, he said every individual should educate their family members and those under their leadership to understand the factors behind social media use in society.

“They also need to identify the impact of social media use and the steps to prevent its misuse. New media, if left unchecked without ethics and education, can trigger fights, fraud, defamation, disturb public order, and some even boldly challenge the sovereignty of the law and the Constitution,” he stressed.

He pointed out that every individual should adhere to three main aspects that should be ingrained in society: security, vigilance and responsibility, with an emphasis on self-regulation.

“Every individual must develop a habit of using proper language when communicating online, adhering to positive social media practices, and following campaigns like ‘if unsure, don’t share.’

“All of this is important to sustain the civilization of future generations so that they are better educated to discard all trash content, slander and negative materials they come across,” he said.