COMMENT: Youth, social media and respect

COMMENT | BENJAMIN AGABA | Social media has been awash with beehive idiotic activity in the past month, mostly announcing either the serious illness or the death of some prominent person, including members of the first family. President Yoweri Museveni himself,  and the First son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba have not been spared.

This irresponsible use of social media is sad, and it is good a majority of the population has criticized and rejected it. Much as we might not love some people, wishing them and their family bad is very, very wrong.

I have noticed that this misuse and abuse is led by a gang of youth who sometimes portray themselves on social media as the opposition or the most oppressed.

Social media being the most used media in this day and era, and with no editors or newsroom whips, every individual has become an editor of their own hence having power of deciding what to or what not to post for public consumption.

This usually results in social media in Uganda being dominated by biased views and opinions, fake news and jobs, illicit businesses, nude photos and sex videos among others.

Youth must know that we must use these platforms for positive criticism, constructive ideas and businesses. It should not be used to tear apart the country’s leadership, for the sake of it.

Even the Bible, in Romans 13: 1-2 talks about respecting our leaders, mainly the government and the people in power. Leviticus 19: 32 and 1Peter 5: 5 also talk about respecting and loving our elders. Away from the Bible, our cultures and society also teach us to be respectful to our elders and leaders.

That said and done,  the book of Matthew 6: 14 and Mark 11: 25 talks about forgiving others for God to also forgive us. That’s what all those who have been declared ill and dead when they are as healthy as a fiddle, should do — forgive.

We should emulate the many youth who have forgiven the President for under looking us, and denying us all the jobs we deserve, by continuing to vote for him.

It is the same spirit of forgiveness taht we expect the President to use on the issue of Face book that was suspended in January during the elections.

The elections are over, so I would advise the President to lift the ban as soon as possible and also resume the use of his personal account. He needs to join his fellow world leaders to keep engaging with his over one million followers who are typically Ugandans, as we also enjoy our freedom of access to information and speech.

Let us stay positive, safe and above all prayerful.

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 Agaba is a former Mayoral Candidate, Ntungamo Municipality.

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