The impact of internet and social media on mankind

LAGOS, Nigeria – In today’s society, internet and social media platforms are good means of communication and were invented for many advantages such as making friends, building good relationship, business development, getting useful information that can add wisdom, knowledge and understanding to the human life etc.

However, the reverse is now the case because the advantage is now being used as a disadvantage. Internet and social media networks, which were invented as instruments of blessing, are now being used as instruments of sorrow, destruction and death.

We must be informed that the technology age has made it impossible for internet and social media network users to sift the wheat from the chaff. It is now possible for internet fraudsters to upload the pictures of innocent people online, impersonate them and use their pictures to commit internet related crimes. Some fraudsters also specialise in hacking of telephone lines, email or social media accounts of unsuspecting victims and use their identity to commit fraud.

It is very sad that the human life which was created by God for the booming of his grace is now going through various online risks on a daily basis, leading many victims to financial loss, depression, broken homes, suicide etc.

According to FTC’s “Consumer Sentinel Data Book,” the most common categories of fraud complaints last year were imposter scams, debt collection and identity theft cases – more than 167,000 people reported a fraudulent credit card account was opened with their information.