Social media – it can make you or break you

The idea of being one click away from ruining your life may seem daunting, but in today’s society, it is a harsh reality.

During an eye-opening presentation at Ashton International College last week, SA’s leading expert in social media law, Emma Sadleir dug deep into the dark world of social media and explained how dangerous seemingly innocent platforms can be.

“The more you look after your privacy, the more of it you have,” said Sadleir.

Also read: What you share could get you fired, or worse

“Privacy is more important than popularity. If you would not put it on a billboard, do not let it exist.”

Today, children as young as 11 are being roped into the thrilling online experience, but what many do not know is that everything uploaded onto the world wide web is there to stay.

Some of the major dangers Sadleir touched on included defamation, privacy, hate speech, cyberbullying, sexting and pornography.

When asked how many pupils use social media, hands went flying into the air, with some children saying they have more than 2000 followers on Instagram.

Sadleir quickly explained that most of these ‘followers’ are people hiding behind fake profiles, who intend to do more harm than good.

“Every week I receive thousands of horrific cases on my desk, with some of my clients being as young as 13 years old.”

Senior College Head, Jenny van Buuren said uncontrolled social media use can be a major distraction in and out the classroom and open the doors for cyberbullying or the sharing of inappropriate content.

“As Emma said ‘Digital content is dangerous content’. A pupil may post inappropriate content such as pornography or foul language which would be both distracting and damaging to others, not to mention that it stays with them forever.”

Many pupils also judge their self-worth on the number of likes they receive which is certainly a false sense of judgement.

The code of conduct at Ashton College limits cell phone usage and is currently being revised to include a social media policy.

“We try to educate pupils to use social media in a smart and responsible way.”

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