Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo has advised the youth against the abuse of social media, particularly in times of disaster.
He wondered why the youth are sometimes so engrossed in taking vidoes and pictures for the social media platforms in the event of a calamity or accident when they need to rather protect themselves or provide first aid to the victims.
He was commenting on the Apiate explosion where dozens were killed and hundreds sustained injuries when a truck carrying explosives exploded wiping out the entire Apiate communtiy at Bogoso in the Western Region.
Following the explosion, videos showing some residents trooping to the disastrous scene before the explosion flooded social media and many people have shared concerns on the video.
Prof. Joseph Osafo, speaking to Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, was perturbed by this trend stressing some of the Apiate deaths were needless.
He condemned the social media trend saying ”it’s a habit that [it is] driven by strong desire to be a celebrity, thus to show I broke or saw this thing first or I have a lot of following or people…Everybody wants to be a celebrity in Ghana; one-day celebrity, two-day celebrity”.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana