Culture of criticising on social media turning toxic – Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR: The culture of criticising others on the social media is becoming toxic when it is filled with messages of hatred which could bring down a person, says Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said this culture had become a phenomenon which emerged like a tsunami, making it difficult for the victims of condemnation to fend off slanders that went viral on the social media.

He said this culture was one of the five challenges affecting the younger generation now and it could become a time bomb which could explode anytime if no actions were taken by the parties responsible, especially parents.

“The time has come for us to create some safe space online as there are too many negative messages on the social media. We no longer think of the feelings of others.

“I have no problems in being criticised on the social media but how about others? Do they know how to overcome it?” he said at a news conference after opening the 2017 National Youth Research Seminar at the Putra World Trade Centre, here, yesterday.

Khairy also said that the issue of social ills, sedentary lifestyle, addiction to the screen and mental illness had become challenges to the younger generation in this country.

“We are now conducting a study led by a group of experts in psychology, neurology, medicine and communications to find the best methods to combat the problems. The seminar today is one of the steps to the research work,” he said.