MAKE OR UNMAKE

EDNA Z. DATUIN

Social Media which has become part of our lives makes the world smaller because it connects people from the different parts of the world. This is something that people must be thankful for because relatives can reach out to their loved ones, lonely parents who work abroad can still guide their children back home and people can patch up broken relationships. If the real purpose of social media will be taken seriously.

But what is happening at present is much different from the real objective of social media. Most of the time, this form of communication creates confusion, brakes relationship and initiates hatred.

Social media itself is not bad. Maybe the people who are into it simply forget one basic word ,which is , “responsible”. People who are into it become irresponsible in such a way that sometimes they edit stories , or worse, they invent.

This is a serious matter that should be considered by the schools or the teachers because the students are the most active in social media.

It is here, where the role of the teachers come in. Good thing there is campus journalism program in school wherein the students are informed on what is really happening around them. But it is not only the young journalists who should be educated on “responsible journalism”.

“Fake news” ,for instance, which became the hottest issue even in Malacanang, brought confusion among students, created hatred among supporters of politicians and caused cyber bullying.

Admittedly, education has gone far because of technology but the best guidance for the students can only be given by their “concern” teachers. The mentors themselves must be responsible in guiding their students especially now that they depend so much on the internet for their school activities.

All they need is proper orientation or education maybe on the possibilities of making or destroying someone through the internet.

— oOo—

I at Sta. Maria High School, Macabebe, The author is Master Teacher Pampanga