Danger lurks in otherwise useful social media

It is amazing how developed the world has become since the industrial revolution.

It is even more amazing when one dares to imagine what the world will be like in the next two decades.

My mind is particularly intrigued by the place communication technology has curved for itself in the lives of ordinary people, industry, government, politics and any other human endeavour one can think of.

Some social media outlets have come to shape relationships between people and nations, as well as determine how people think and perceive themselves and others.

The president of the most powerful nation on earth, for instance, communicates important messages to the nation and to individuals through Twitter.

US ELECTIONS
International relations are today being driven through social media.

What is for me a most frightening phenomenon is the notion that these social media outfits gather data from our communication and store it.

What will they do with it and at what point? There have been accusations that Russia interfered with the American elections in 2016.

This has caused quite some disquiet between America and Russia and serious tension amongst Americans.

Some people say that such interferences have been noticed in other places too.

What implications do these suspicions have to world peace?

VIOLENCE
Currently, Russia and the West are at loggerheads. Is the cold war back with us?

The UK, the US and other NATO countries have expelled Russian diplomats. How will Russia react to this?

There is some Russian involvement in what has been happening in Syria.

Iran, too, gets a mention when some ugly events take place in the Middle East.

There is definitely something happening in the world forum, which has to attract the attention of those who care.

After all, whatever happens in one corner will, one way or the other, have an impact on the lives of people in other places.

CITIZENSHIP
While all this is going on in the world, we in Kenya are fighting over issues of whether to use a passport or an ID to prove our citizenship as we travel.

Government officers are given orders by the court which they ignore.

In turn, they are threatened with jail and fined large sums of money.

Some public university lecturers continue to refuse to teach and we do not see any negotiations in progress.

Doctors and teachers keep issuing threats. A lot of these activities are, of course, coordinated through social media.

There is nothing wrong with that, but what is the meaning of all that in terms of the long-term ambitions of our national growth?

Never mind, we are largely a Christian nation that is celebrating Easter this weekend. A very happy Easter to all of you.

The writer is dean of students at the University of Nairobi. [email protected]