To curb the 'unsocia'l in social media

If one should personify the social media, it would be something like an all-powerful, omnipresent being with a million heads and eyes to go-with, gifted with abilities to travel at the speed of light and locate itself wherever it desires to be.

Making an attempt to control something like social media, a cyberspace behemoth - it is comparable to wanting to ‘own’ an elephant. The mere notion is laughable. However, the simple establishment of impossibility should not shoot down any and every endeavor to bring in what could serve as general good for everyone.

The information and communication ministry’s (MoIC) social media policy (draft) could be viewed under similar circumstances.

For one, recent turn of undesirable instances completely and powerfully influenced by social media was the senseless proliferation of an image of two teenage suicide victims through social media and other mobile internet apps. Prior to that, there were the most gratuitous and intensively damaging materials such as personally-shot ‘images’ and ‘videos’ that made it into public domain through one mobile device and social applications to another.

Taking into account that there is room for ‘much to be done’ rather than dismissing all attempts simply due to reasons that imply that ‘nothing much can be done,’ it is welcome news that, efforts are on.

The borders and horizons of personal fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and media immediately coming into light when words like ‘regulate,’ ‘control,’ creep in; it is of course very unavoidable that we delve on discussions to address them simultaneously.

From what transpires through discussions, the social media policy in its draft form is presented as a ‘liberal’ document meaning to oversee use of social media for more productive efforts or purposes. In that, it is suggestive that governmental departments and agencies are closely in focus.

Drawing on that, a synergy of sorts should be established as government through its many units and sub units employ the vastness of social media to share information, act on policies and educate the general public.

Being in the same loop should sharpen the authority’s senses to pre-empt and better tackle issues of all natures originating in the social media universe. This is the next best alternative to having otherwise very drastic (read draconian) methods enforced.

A policy that will eventually come into reality to address the elements of cyber crimes, online movements to malign person (s), the general public or institutions etc is safely said, most welcome. Keeping all these aside the said policy, as it seems will aim to spread the ‘usefulness’ of the powerful tool of this new age (social media).

Published as Editorial for Business Bhutan on September 27,2014