Social media is one of the things that have revolutionized the world and one of the key advantages is that it has turned the world into a global village.
Face book, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn just to mention but few are so dear to the current Kenyan youth. A young man today cannot do without a smartphone, an iPad, a Laptop or in the least, a desktop not because it is a basic need but it is a necessity in the current world.
With all its advantages, social media has been used for the wrong reasons among the young people and quite importantly, it has led to indiscipline cases among the youths.
I won’t mention the many indiscipline cases arising from the interaction on the social sites but am moved by what has happened around Maseno University in the recent past.
At Maseno University, demonstrations are planned on social sites (get me right, most of them are a never legal). It just starts like a joke and spreads like bush fire.
Like on Tuesday, October 13, before the demonstrations that led to closure of Maseno University indefinitely and I quote "RE: JUSTICE FOR JOSHUA. A comrade can never be wrong. We as School of Medicine we woke up to the most saddening and heartbreaking news that we have lost our brother Joshua Mungai…" it goes on and on.
Without knowledge on whether the information was right or wrong, the students woke up early, assembled at the School of Medicine and together started matching towards the police stations.
My worry is even those who had not verified the authenticity of the news were up in arms and demonstrating. My question is, the person who wrote the text was acting on what capacity because I am sure at the time the incident happened Maseno University din't have a student’s union and even now it is still not there.
That post received more than 5oo likes and several comments and that tells how powerful social media is; but then, are we using it for the good reasons?
Immediately after the demonstrations another crisis on Facebook was the number of deaths and those injured. I am shocked that even leading media houses in Kenya were not giving the facts rights. Rumours had it that a male and a female student had lost their lives and around six students injured.
Others were saying that four students died. All the rumours were started on Facebook by students and spread all over the country prompting newspapers and other news media to report the same.
On Wednesday, October 14, from around midnight again it was on Facebook that the mother of Joshua Mungai had passed on; reportedly, she fainted after getting the news of her son’s demise. It all went out and students started sending condolences to the family and relatives but was it true?
The information spread up to the university’s administration prompting the institution's Public Relations office to call the family just to be shocked that she was alive though distraught by their son’s death.
When I spoke to Maseno University Public Relations Officer Mr Jaspher Otieno, he revealed that the skirmishes registered only one death and none had happened thereafter.
I therefore, urge the youth, most importantly Maseno University and all university students to use social media for the good reasons and stop instilling fear on people and arranging unlawful deals and gatherings.
Let’s use social sites to bring peace and understanding among the Kenyan people who as history has shown, can be potentially divided on tribal lines.