The Impact of Social Media on the Ugandan Society Today – Pros and Cons
In this era, if/once you’re not on social media, you become the talk of the topic. It’s away people are connecting with on another – from Family, to Friends, and Relatives, Co-Workers, Business Customers, and so forth. Social sites/platforms such as: Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, SnapChat and many more sites are some of the platforms Ugandans have embraced today.
In the year 2017, Uganda’s social status has grown in quite a number of ways. In my opinion, this is how social media has impacted the Ugandan life:
Business Promoting and Affiliation Programs
Although social media sites have cons, in our society today the pros are more. Social media has aided businesses to develop by channels of advertising through ads and commercials. Social media saves time for the business in such a way that its easy to communicate with targeted customers for free. This brings us to the topic of it usually being cheaper to advertise through these sites which saves quite a lot of money for the business in other words it lowers the marketing to a certain significant level.
Communication made easier
The increasing popularity of these social sites has increased the means of communication between people in Uganda. They save a lot of time since one can send files and other kinds of information other than giving them to the other person face-to-face which may be complicated since these two people could even be in different countries. Social networking sites often tend to unite people since they’re working together to achieve a specific objective.
Promoted work experience
They have also allowed different workers and bloggers to achieve their set goals. Through these social networking sites, they’ve been allowed to share their experiences and articles, they have also led to one getting job offers and great carriers. LinkedIn, the helps promote user work experience is the best example for this scenario.[related-posts]
The other side (FACE) of social media;
Talk about addiction issues
They’re are quite entertaining but can often lead to addiction which is not quite healthy for any ones being. Since these networking sites are found on different devices, if one over uses the devices it could lead to different diseases such as headaches, eye problems and repetitive strain injury etc.
Lower’s workmates motivations
It also tends to lower the motivation level of workers, diverting their attention and wasting their time from doing productive works required from them. This is one of the biggest problems, work places are facing. Workmates get more addicted to WhatsApp or Facebook ending up messing organization work. Organizations take matters in their own hands, and shut down/block these platforms during work hours, in addition suspend or fire any employee found using them within work times.
Online extremism to teenagers
Kids at the age of 15 and below can be greatly affected by social media. The reason is that sometimes people share photos on social media that contains violence or sex, which can damage the behavior of kids and teenagers while growing up. Other children use these platforms as a way of bullying others. This enforces negative impacts on overall society as these kids and teenagers involve themselves in crime related activities.
Exposure to cheap popularity
People have gone to be more public about their personal lives – gaining cheap popularity. Because intimate details of our lives can be posted so easily, users are prone to bypass the filters they might normally employ when talking about their private lives. This is highly dangerous because a lot can be exposed which can put ones life in danger.
WhatsApp has been a place for nudity to Ugandans. From celebrities, to university students, to mothers, and those that want to be recognized in the community. For recent, a female Ugandan artist; Angela Kalule’s video went viral showing her B***** and other parts of her body.
Misinformed/Misinformation
Ugandans have also used social networking sites to gain information about different topics which are of value to them. These different things could be related to; medicine creation, entertainment, job interviews, business transactions and so many more. Like I mentioned above, everything has a down side to it and in this case, some people could get wrong information and in some cases, such things could cost them their jobs.
For instance; last week, a Job Ad about Bank of Africa recruiting enumerators to carry out an “Integrated Financial Consumers” survey was trending on WhatsApp till the banking institution had to pass a public notice informing the public that the Ad was a hoax.
“This is being the handiwork of unknown unscrupulous persons and should therefore be disregarded,” BOA writes in a press statement.
Writer’s Note: Therefore, from my point of view, I conclude saying that social media has done more good than harm since it has helped Uganda as a whole develop.
