Interactive Digital and Touchpoint Magna Carta have brought the 2019 Social Media Week to a close.
The event which spans a period of three days brought together key players in the tech industry and hundreds of social media enthusiasts to deliberate on ways to make the most of social media in today’s world.
The theme for this year was, ‘Stories: With great influence comes great responsibility.’
Deputy Minister of Information, Honourable Pius Enam Hadzide, advised people to be more responsible in their usage of social media.
Speaking at the opening session of the Social Media Week 2019 in Accra, Mr Hadzide said it is crucial for people to be mindful of what they decide to put on social media.
“Social media offers enormous potential for all, particularly, the youth. However, users of social media have to be responsible especially in relation to verbal abuse, character assassination, peddling of fake news and disinformation. The Social Media Week platform, therefore, offers an opportunity to remind ourselves of the responsibility we have in the usage of social media,” Mr Hadzide said.
On technology’s significant impact on people’s lives and businesses, CEO of the Ninani Group, Joel Nettey said, “Often times seen as a blessing and a curse, social media has come to be an inevitable part of life for many people. Businesses thrive on the back of social media; social media has engendered communal living and virtual relationships the world over.”
“Due to the influence social media has on shaping popular culture, empowering individuals and affecting causes or having a negative impact on individuals’ lifestyles, it behoves users of such platforms to exercise caution in what they churn out,” he said.
Social media has become the world’s most influential storytelling platform and the stories we tell have the ability to touch and inspire and shake people to their cores. Ultimately, stories have the power to influence the world and the people who consume them, and with this influence comes responsibility.
