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.