Rising power of social media

Social media served as a catalyst in encouraging many of the brutal conflicts. Events in the war-ravaged areas of the world were triggered by the active intervention of social media. Unlike events of 30 years ago, the bloody spectacle we are witnessing today has attracted attention largely due to graphic images and gruesome videos circulated on social media platforms. Billionaire philanthropist, George Soros, has called social media a deadly threat to democracy, which will ultimately erode personal freedom. The advent of social media has led to regime change in many countries.

The Pentagon is asking scientists to figure out how to detect and counter propaganda on social media networks in the aftermath of numerous uprisings driven by Facebook and Twitter. The project echoes concerns among top military officers about the lightning pace of change in the Middle East and Europe.

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The genie is out of the bottle, and it cannot be contained unless world governments and technology giants work assiduously to implement control measures regarding the tsunami of negative information engulfing humanity.

- Farouk Araie, Johannesburg