By
Obododimma Oha
Human relationships have been severed or are about to. Many humans try to rediscover community online, using the social media.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Alternative forums where people can gather in the Age of Information Technology. Of course, these have been used as virtual classrooms, libraries, forum for agitation for social change, etc.
Humans know how to make community strong but cannot actualise it. They rather problematize interaction, making community difficult.
Human beings live under the illusion that the would find peace of mind on social media with all the comments, controversies, quarrels, etc. There is no guarantee that the social media interactions won't be like what one finds in their village meetings, town union meetings, group meetings, and even national assembly meetings.
Some ways that social media interactions do create problems include:
(1) Careless exposures of every interaction.
(2) Orientation to argument or argument for its own sake.
(3) Assumption that access to the Internet means that anyone can hide and say anything.
(4) Dropping just anything or vommitting anything one likes to the view of others.
Of course, community implies being with other people or being in the presence of others. That means learning from other beings, as well as teaching them. I believe that is one reason we are here on earth.
Every society privileges some models of community, expecting us to follow them. This means some control. Those who resist them are not liked or seen as good examples.
To get into social media and think that one is free from control is wrong. Interacting with others requires rules to guide behaviour. Thus we have netiquette, a derivation from etiquette.
There could also be a shift from one model of community to another as time goes on. This could cause problems for some people. For some, it could be like living in two worlds or realities. Partly physical and partly virtual. Here and also there. Neither here nor there. Etc.
But many are excited that they can get on social media. Is it not wonderful that your photo is shown, not to talk about letting many on that platform know about you, your birthday, fine dress, business, where you have been lately, etc? Surely, social media have come to help you.
It is an alternative community where you matter after all. The other community is full of arrogant titled people, highly placed, presidents that are hardly presidential, etc. But here on social media, you are somebody, no longer a nobody. You can update and comment. What is not on your mind, honestly?
Yet on social media there is still gatemamship. In fact, one must have a password to get in. There are still thieves and trouble makers. So, some rules are made to govern sharing, commenting, and not commenting. Rules that ensure that there is orderliness. Not anything goes!
Gatekeeping is still very important in the alternative community. Who are for us and who are against us?
Let us then return to the court of social media. There are judegments but where do they lead? To prison? To release? Or are arguments and judgments just made for the sake of making them?
Every commenter is wise. Every commenter is a judge! And every person that loses a case argues on.
It is good to have a human community, helping to advise, guide, instruct, and entertain others. But we should know that community, no matter the context, has to have a direction and purpose. It is good that we now have dedicated groups on Facebook, even using other languages than English. They also examine their concerns in great depth. This is good for social media community building.
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