The Christian Democratic Movement (CDM) has urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to come up with Social Media Code of Conduct for the body of Christ in Nigeria.
Wole Adedoyin, CDM President said this in Lagos yesterday during a workshop on the negative uses of social media by Christians in Nigeria.
According to Wole Adedoyin who is also the National Coordinator of Assembly of Christian Democrats (ACD) and the National President, Association of Nigerian Christian Authors and Publishers (ANCAPS), “Internet becomes a primary method of communication; there is an increased opportunity to reach a wider audience through Church websites, social media, and mobile resources. These channels enable Christians to be more aware of Church content, to share that content with friends and family, and to maintain closer contact with the Church and its leaders. Other benefits may also come to the Church as it incorporates emerging Internet technologies. For instance, use of social media improves search result rankings, making it easier for individuals to find the information they are searching for on Church-sponsored websites. Social media resources include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, wikis, blogs, and others”.
On the negative use of the Social Media “Social media has a high proportion of written communication. We need to be aware of the loss of other information we give and receive from either auditory or face-to‐face communication –such as gestures, facial expression, and tone of voice. This loss can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. Social media tends to more spontaneity. This can be helpful in developing richer relationships, but care must be taken that this isn’t at the expense of wise decisions, since digital information has a long life. Users need to be aware that anything shared may remain accessible for a very long period. We need to recognize that unethical or even careless use of social media may leave us open to allegations and charges of misconduct. This is due to the real danger of the abuse of social media by those wishing to harm or exploit others”.
