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Anderson Tinashe Maburu Youth Interactive Writer
Young people in Zimbabwe have been catching up with their peers from other parts of the world in terms of technological astuteness.
This has exposed them to a number of online platforms where they now spend most of their time.
The online platform presence of young people was exacerbated by the emergence of the inauspicious Covid-19 pandemic.
This heavy presence came as a result of the lack of activities due to the closure of most sectors of the country through Covid-19 induced regulations.
The ‘idleness’ which Covid-19 created paved way for the update of an invisible drug called social media, which many young people are now struggling to leave.
This addiction has made an impact to the extent that, it is easy to find a dinosaur in Harare CBD than find a day on which young people will not log on to sites like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
The impact of spending time on these online social media platforms has been quite different to young people depending on how they use them.
On one hand, some young people are conscious of the fact that the platforms can destroy what they are trying to build or close the door for other opportunities.
On the other hand, there are also young people who just do anything for fame, likes and reposts.
This draws a diagrammatic depiction of the fact that people utilize opportunities differently.
According to one young person active on Twitter, “Twitter is a good platform for marketing products and for creating networks. However, some use it for other purposes”.
This statement delineates the possibilities that come with any given online platform. It is therefore important for young people to be educated on effective use of online platforms.
The positive impacts of effective use of online media platforms have been the establishment of useful networks, advertising and easy access to services or products, improved access to information and also the availability of entertainment.
This positive side of online platforms has benefitted a number of young people, especially those who don’t live for clout. Some have also used it to reach out and assist those who are in need.
Another great example of how the online platforms have been bringing a positive contribution to the lives of young people has been that of the voter education by various individuals.
This has helped the young people to understand that they have a role to play in the affairs of the country.
It has also inspired many young people to register to vote and actively participate in the affairs of the country. It was also through online platforms that a national hero, Mr. Sirizani Butau was identified after his heroic exploits of saving fellow citizens from a bus that was on fire after an accident.
His heroic and selfless gesture did not go unnoticed as Zimbabweans across all online platforms managed to share the news of the man.
It is clear from the aforesaid that indeed online media platforms can produce positive and powerful results if utilized properly.
The existence of a brighter side of online media platforms does not hide the fact that there is a darker side of it which require collective effort to deal with.
The dark side is mostly dominated by the life for clout and the need to be the most dominant voice in the streets.
The growth of online platforms paved way for the development of community celebs, for instance on Twitter there are those called “Twelebs” and on other platforms they are simply referred to as influencers.
These are usually individuals with a great following and are believed to be influential to the extent that they can dictate the pace of what trends.
The existence of such figures has created an online class system, a system that depicts others as influential, big or important whilst the others are depicted to be small and less influential.
In most cases, this always creates a room for tension, fights and lack of support for one another.
The issue of never-ending fights has pushed many into doing different things that can trigger mental health issues.
The use of online media platforms to harm others has been on the increase making the platforms unsafe for others. There are also other young people who have done great harm to themselves by posting things that haunted them later in their lives.
For instance, there was a case of a South African model who once posted racist comments at a young age.
These comments later haunted her when she tried to compete for a modeling contest at a later stage of her life.
She had to pull out of the contest after members of the community raised concerns over the comments she made.
This makes it clear that if not utilized effectively, online media platforms can destroy and close some doors.
The rise of the cyber space laws also implies that the possibility of others getting prosecuted for what they post is high.
It is quite difficult to control or to tell someone how to utilize their spare time on online media platforms, however, it is important for the young people to be provided with guidance.
This guidance will help them to develop an online media platform etiquette that will help in safeguarding them and those around them.
It is also important for young people to unite and shun all things that can bring about difference, conflicts and other forms of fights among them. This is so because we need each other, now more than ever.
We are the future leaders and parents, hence, if we develop with scars caused by each other, this may haunt us in the future. It is also important to have the mindset that “Its just online media” so that if there is any form of disagreement it can be solved and end there where it started.
Young people also need to focus on supporting each other’s work and also providing one another with important information which can facilitate growth and development.
Furthermore, prioritization of mental health and issues related to it is also of paramount importance.
This is so because some consider online media platforms to be a haven or a place of refuge. Hence, they utilize it to heal or recover from different challenges the world will be posing on them, thus, facing another challenge on the platform can defer the progress they will be making in their mental health convalescence period. Dear young people, be brother’s keepers. Stay safe and be blessed.
Anderson Tinashe Maburu is a UZ Graduate -HSW, Humanitarian Worker, Spoken Word Artist, Writer, Child and Refugee Protection Practitioner, Content Creator, Events Director and Mental Health Ambassador.
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