THE POWER OF MEDIA AND INFORMATION AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USERS

Media has unparalleled influence on all aspects of human life in modern times. It comes
in various forms – television, radio, newspaper and the now widely used internet. This makes
media the most powerful equipment one can ever use when it comes to sharing information’s
and opinions. It is a channel used to relay one's message to those far at reach or in a large
target of audience due to its pervasive connectivity and it is the most powerful sector of an
economy and a tool to maintain a balanced society which is characterized by well-informed
people, effective democracy and social justice.
With the click of a mouse and a touch of a screen we can interact with somebody from a
different country, stream live footage to relatives, or delight our friends with pictures and
statuses. We live in a technologically-advanced society, with everything accessible to us.
Anybody with opposable thumbs can record, communicate, and stream pretty much anything.
Being a responsible social media user starts from childhood. Kids nowadays grow up having
access to social media. As such, they can be smart than adults. So it is the responsibility of
parents and guardians to teach them how to use social media properly. They should guide their
kids to develop sound judgment and use social media securely. Of course, everyone should be
mindful of the things that we post online. One of the big no-no’s is to post your daily routine.
Those with bad intentions can easily make use of such intimate information.
Cyberbullying is another social media abuse in social media. A lot of social media user
are cyberbullied because of the information that they posted online. Cyberbullying is a form of
harassment that occurs in the web. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or some other online
networking outlet, it requires just a little push to badger somebody. That’s the reason why
every accounts we have in any social networking site should be safe and private. Make sure you
don’t use social media to complain or vent frustrations, share personal pictures or information
that will reflect badly on you, announce when you’re on holiday (and leaving your home
empty), express concerns about others, even if you think you are anonymous, connect with
people you don’t personally know, or at least without there being a purpose for the connection,
don’t forget to log out of shared gadgets. So we should all be responsible social media users.
Think before you click.
Enable to be a responsible media user, we should follow netiquette. Netiquette means
etiquettes in using media. First, remember that we are human and we should handle media
information rationally and good purpose. Respect other’s time and privacy. We should share
expert knowledge, not just sharing nonsense media information. Lastly, do not abuse our
power in handling media information. Make sure it’s beneficial to others and knowledgeable.
Since having the power comes a great responsibility.