CHITAWAN, Oct 27: The misuse of social network sites has increased along with the spread of social media like Facebook and Twitter. Are not social media sites accessible on portable devises like laptops and cell phones creating a problem of social isolation? Women in Bharatpur on Sunday staged a demonstration focused on this question.
The women carried placards with slogans such as: don’t make Facebook and social media a habit, are these uniting or dividing society, do not make social media unsocial, may police succeed in controlling crime arising from social media, don't misuse social sites like Facebook, and let’s counsel social media abusers on moral values.
The demonstration was organized jointly by 31 various organizations. These have dubbed their move a “Campaign Against Misuse of Social Media Sites”.
Women (at) work
The organizers took out a demonstration from Chaubiskothi, Bharatpur to the District Administration Office Chitwan before submitting a memorandum to Chief District Officer (CDO) Chiranjibi Sharma.
They will expand the campaign all over the country, said Sangita Bhattarai, district coordinator of the Inter-Party Women's Alliance (IPWA). Women have become disproportionately victimized due to the misuse of social media, she said, adding that it is not only abuse but also incidents of murder that have been committed using social media as a tool.
Most cases registered at the women's cell at District Police Office, Chitwan are related to crimes committed through Facebook, she added. “We all need to become aware on time to control further misuse of social sites.”
The government should be serious over social media-related issues such as use of indecent language, posting obscene material, blaming others in ways not acceptable to society and putting out content that weakens social harmony, the women said. The government should take action against such activities, they demanded in their memorandum.
The aim of the campaign is to make the public aware, discourage social media abusers and put pressure on the government to take action against abusers, said Sarita KC, another woman leader. They will review the effectiveness of the demonstration and decide on the future course of the campaign, she said.
Similarly, the attention of children has been diverted from studies and their other responsibilities. On top of all that, cases of swindling and murder have increased as a result of misuse of social media, Shakuntala Hamal, a participant in the demonstration said. Defamation is rampant on social media, it was also pointed out.
