There is an issue so threatening it could be the main cause of turmoil in the modern world. It is known as the War of Social Media. Its soldiers are anonymous, its weapons are computers, and its war zone is social networking sites. They use bots to create a massive number of accounts which belong to no one and whose names are fake. They create fraudulent propaganda and opinions that are erroneous. There are many reasons for concern.
First, the creation of fabricated propaganda. These enormous numbers of accounts post together at the same time, using a specific hashtag made up to create misinformation. Since they are hundreds of thousands of accounts, they quickly trend worldwide and are rapidly shared. Hence, the false appears to be true and the truth vanishes. In addition, the huge number of fake accounts are a direct suppressor for freedom of opinion and speech. These accounts are not only a campaign of misinformation, but also share a one-opinionated domestic view.
The war of social media is one of the most hazardous issues of the current era. It directly harms everyone from individuals to communities to nations to the world over. It is crucial that awareness is raised on this topic to end all networks and bots that practise all forms of misinformation and that threaten the stability and safety of our world.
Habiba Ibrahim,
UPEI student,
Charlottetown
