(B3) I Am A Social Media Addict

Most Malaysians somehow are using social media platforms, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Tumblr, Flickr, Pinterest or YouTube. Even our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is on Twitter and so does a handful of ministries. There was an intention of censoring the internet in Malaysia which many Malaysians protested.

In my opinion, social media could not be censored in Malaysia. First of all, Malaysia had launched Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1990s to create multimedia hub, therefore censoring the internet and social media defeats the purpose of MSC. Secondly, this would cause uproar among Malaysians, especially the youngsters. In the Internet Age, we depend a lot on social platforms for work, study and leisure. If the internet is censored we will not progress as to those who have access to internet. We can't access to information as we like. This is a huge step backwards from development, which is crucial for a developing country like Malaysia. Thirdly, it contradicts to our country’s Vision 2020 which one of the challenges is to establish a scientific and progressive society. Lastly, Malaysia will be left out from globalisation, creating a generation which equivalent to the ‘stone age’. Why would Malaysia want to take the risk?

Why do I consume social media platforms? I use them for internal and external knowledge sharing, learning, real time information and connect with friends. I am dependent to social media platforms, mainly Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. I access to these platforms everyday without fail. Twitter is my choice platform to access news, gossips and articles. I enjoy using Twitter because it provides real time updates. This is especially useful during breaking news, international conferences and festivals as there will be someone to live tweet the event. I am fond of the 140 characters limit because I only have to read the headline, and if I’m interested in a particular tweet, I’ll just click the link provided. Of course one of the perks being on Twitter is to follow your favourite celebrities. Many celebrities use Twitter as they thought it is a good platform to voice their opinions and connect directly to their fans as opposed to their manager or agent doing it for them. One of my favourite celebrities to follow on Twitter is actor Stephen Amell. I think what he does with Twitter and Facebook is the real purpose of social media platforms. He has a good logic for using it. You can read more about Stephen’s logic here.

Surely there are social media etiquettes and I think all social media consumers should adhere to these etiquettes for a wholesome experience using it. Besides that, we should not take social media platforms for granted and misuse it. What you post online will be there forever, there is no taking back. So, we must be wise and considerate when using it.

There’s a joke I thought it would be suitable to share it here: 

Image source: http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy05NmQ2NDgyMDFkZDYwODJm

More about internet censorship Malaysia:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-repeats-promise-of-no-internet-censorship

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/censoring-the-internet-for-the-interests-of-the-few