An innovation brought by advancement in technology, a product of the internet. Social media has taken the world by surprise through the rate of its assimilation by the masses. Becoming a global phenomenon that has impacted the cognitive understanding of the masses about the existence and Significance of the existing media that has ruled supreme over the years. Social media gained more acceptance due to its flexibility in convening information without going through gatekeeping process an attribute which is most sacred to the conventional media.
Judging by the privileges and opportunities offered by social media, it is no longer considered just a communication tool. it is a means of earning sustainable income for those who understand how to monetise the features offered by social media. Also we have others who channel their skills through social media not just for making income but for disseminating of information that matters to the public, either for promoting a content or for advocacy. It goes without doubt that it has become a lot easier to convey information to different categories of audience since people often make use of the social media for different purposes.
Despite the opportunities offered by social media it also possess a threat to the society. Due to its fast assimilation by the public, people with ill intentions consider social media as a platform for promoting all kind of ill mannered content which also become accessible to the public. Either intentionally or unintentionally the rate of unethical usage of social media is definitely worth looking into. It makes you wonder what the source of the issue could be, for most people they are ignorant about the manner at which they make use of social media, since everyone with a smart phone have the privilege of making use of any social media platforms of their choice.
But then there are others who intentionally spread fake news and propaganda to attract audience to their content. This was never an issue, till the privilege of monetisation was added to the benefits offered by social media. It is no doubt an opportunity of a life time, to make a living without stepping out of our comfort zones. We have different categories of them, individuals who have found a way to earnest the opportunities offered by social media to their advantage.
It has never been an issue to make a living out of a specific skill but in this case professionalism and ethics matters a lot. Sadly, people have been blindfolded by the money they earn from content creation, to the extent that their priority has changed. It is no longer about creating credible and factual content but constituting all form of nuisance just to get people's attention is now the order of the day. Is it not tragic? The most used medium ever since the emergence of internet is now a means of clout chasing and a pit hole for fabricated information.
Is monetising social media the worst thing that ever happened to social media? Despite the rate at which monetisation has reduced the credibility of social media contents, let's not forget that it is the reason why the rate of unemployment has reduced. With content creating skill and a smartphone, you could start making a living on social media. So I can't outrightly say monetisation of social media is the worst thing that ever happened to social media. The unethical contents created by people due to monetisation of social media, it is just an unexpected turn of event that can be fixed.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled "Monetising social media" in hive learners community.
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