Social media has become a way to satisfy patients’ obsession with “trends” Thus, it crosses all red lines in society, forgets its values and public morals, and the matter becomes more like a psychological phenomenon that threatens the stability of society.
Experts, commenting on “the doctor’s video”, said that this phenomenon has been exaggerated due to the lack of societal awareness and the lack of legal controls, which requires intensifying awareness and imposing strict legislation to control digital content and prevent the spread of rumours.
Trend Addiction
Dr. Laila Abdel Majeed, professor at the Faculty of Mass Communication at Cairo University and former Dean of the Faculty, said that the social-psychological phenomenon of some social media users is the pursuit of fame in vulgar ways. It has been present in Egyptian society for a long time, but it took different forms with the development of digital platforms and became amplified due to the influence of social media.
She explained that some individuals seek to achieve moral and material gains, exploiting psychological complexes or their desire to draw attention to be different from others, even if that means spreading false ideas and allegations.
She confirmed to “Rosa Al-Youssef” That there are people who have become “trend addicts” They seek to appear by any means possible, even if they are sure that their content is false, with the aim of attracting followers and achieving financial profits, noting that the negative comments on these publications, although they may be dismissive, also contribute to achieving the goals of these people by raising viewing rates and thus increasing revenues. .
Abdel Majeed pointed out the necessity of social awareness among users to confront this phenomenon, stressing that the solution begins with the awareness of the followers themselves, and ignoring these contents and not interacting with them is… The best way to limit its spread.
She also called for the importance of raising the level of society’s awareness to avoid interacting with negative ideas and rumours, so that pointless videos do not turn into “trends” It harms the image of Egyptian society and spreads it in a negative light.
A global phenomenon
Dr. Mervat Al-Tarabishi, former Dean of the October 6th Faculty of Information, confirmed that the “trend” phenomenon It has become widely spread in Egyptian society, especially in light of the absence of clear controls and laws governing the content of social media platforms.
“Al-Tarabishi” This phenomenon is not only local, but exists globally. However, most countries have clear legislation that governs and regulates digital content, which is greatly lacking in Egypt.
The media professor added to ”Rosa Al-Youssef” The trend phenomenon has begun to attract many people who are looking for quick fame without caring about the impact of what they publish on society as a whole.
She pointed out the need for the Medical Syndicate, in the event of content that affects patient secrets or harms the profession, to play an active role in controlling the behavior of its members, so that ethical and professional lines are not crossed. She pointed out that publishing personal information or attacking specific groups in society with the aim of gaining followers is behavior that lacks responsibility, calling on the relevant institutions to impose stricter control.
Al-Tarabishi stressed the necessity of enacting strong and deterrent legislation that puts an end to these phenomena that aim to falsify facts and distort society, stressing the importance of awareness as a basic solution to confront this type of harmful content.
She expressed her regret at the lack of clear legislation regulating behavior on communication platforms so far, stressing that these legislations, if adopted, will play a pivotal role in reducing such negative practices that have begun to exploit communication platforms for personal purposes. Purely, sometimes it amounts to providing inappropriate or purely commercial content that threatens the image and morals of society.
Community awareness
Dr. Tariq Saada, head of the Media Syndicate and member of the Senate, stressed the importance of enhancing community awareness to confront the negative effects of new media, especially social media, which has become a tool To spread rumors and destabilize society.
He explained that these platforms are exploiting some users to publish content aimed at gaining fame or money at the expense of values and morals, pointing out the necessity of ensuring accuracy and verifying the credibility of information before sharing it.
Saada mentioned to ”Rosa al-Yusuf” Confronting this phenomenon begins with enhancing awareness among members of society, so that everyone is able to distinguish between real and misleading news, avoid circulating rumors that may negatively affect societal peace, and adhere to customs and traditions, which must be a guide for every person who uses social media, and to Content that violates religious or cultural values only contributes to spreading negativity and division.
Saada pointed to the urgent need for digital media alliances with neighboring countries to provide meaningful and useful content that adheres to ethical and societal standards, stressing the need to enact continuous and immediate legislation to keep pace with the development of new media, and to confront content that conflicts with peace controls. General, and stressed the importance of changing societal culture to suit the rapid changes in the field of media.
He stressed that societal awareness is the first line of defense against attempts to exploit social media irresponsibly.
