Bandwagon Morality: A Social Media Epidemic Causing Lots of Harm

By Martha Nangombe

SOCIAL media has literally taken the country by storm. Not only in Namibia but the whole globe.

An obsession has arisen, not only among young people but also with the elderly. Men and women in the midlife crisis and even old people, only a few appear to be immune to the obsession. Nowadays, social media seems like a big part of our lives, in fact, it has proven to be such as being accepted within social media confines has become extremely important, particularly for young people, as face-to-face communication is rapidly being replaced by texting, posting, messaging, and commenting.

What is troubling is it is becoming more common for people to use social media to avoid social interactions.

In an interview with Confidente, international Internet personality, Nick Kossovan said young people today often have difficulty having a face to face conversation because they are more comfortable communicating via social media, where they do not have to present themselves physically and can create an online persona that garners them popularity. “Not long ago, forming new relationships, joining a group, or interacting with others required you to call someone or leave your home. Today, many consider their Facebook friends their social circle, and texting/messaging has become the most prevalent form of communication. Ironically, social media is a contributing factor to the decline in possessing social skills. However, even as social skills diminish, the need to belong still exists, so people, particularly youths, latch onto moral bandwagons in order to feel connected to others,” he said.

Discussions about how social media affects mental health and has created divisive religious, racial, and political climates have been endless.

While these self-identifying divisions have always existed, Kossovan  said they are now bubbling more angrily than ever, thanks to the ease with which individuals can use social media to spread self-serving “us against them” narratives.

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