There is no denying the power of social media, but it also has its downside. It can do a lot of good, highlight issues that need support and can save lives. At the same time, there is a price to connectivity, such as the loss of privacy and how confidential information can easily be tracked down about each and every one of us.
It has reached the stage where people are finding out news about themselves or their loved ones on social media rather than via more conventional methods. One example happened this week in the UAE, when the sister of Ali Khalil Abdullah Al Hosni, the teenaged National Service recruit, said she learnt about her brother’s death on social media. Al Hosni died the day after he joined up as part of the fourth intake of military trainees.
“I didn’t know about his death, until I saw his picture on Instagram with a death announcement underneath,” Zahra Al Hosni said.
I can’t even imagine the shock of opening one’s account and finding yourself tagged in a tragic post like this.
Something similar happened to a friend of mine and instead of people calling her to check up on her, they tagged her on messages of condolence written up next to a photograph of her father. It was all meant with kindness and love, but surely it would have been better to ask if it was all right to leave comments in the first place. It seems in her case a distant relative had posted the image and then all her friends wanted to pay their respects and re-shared it on social media.
It wasn’t fine with her, however, and she deleted the post and demanded the rest be removed. Some people are very private and we should respect that.
Another example of the power of social media is a video that went viral of a pilgrim doing tawaf (circling the Kaaba) as part of Umra in Mecca on a two-wheel electric mini-scooter, sometimes described as a mini-Segway or drifting board.
Given all the laws on taking photos and videos without permission, whoever took that video would be in a heap of trouble for doing so.
We don’t know anything about the man and why he used this gadget, yet he has been slammed on social media for being shameful and un-Islamic.
With Haj just around the corner, I wouldn’t be surprised if some pilgrims do bring these devices with them to Mecca given the great amount of walking involved. It was interesting to see how heated the debate was and how it can have damaging consequences. I wonder if the man ever found out that he had become a social media star.
Well, it seems to have reached the authorities, and police in Mecca have banned the use of these gadgets.
Whatever the case, we can’t stop technology from appearing in every aspect of our lives. For instance, selfies are so popular, that there are whole forums dedicated to selfies while performing Haj or Umra.
A popular joke these days is regarding the question “what is new?” and how it has been made redundant as most of us have already seen another person’s latest news on some form of social media.
We have become so used to posting everything for the whole world to see, it is no wonder we forget to respect privacy and we forget to stop ourselves from making comment or passing judgement.
Some comments slip into the cyberbullying category without the commentator even realising, as he or she feels self-entitled and so sure of their point of view.
Sometimes we need to just step back and live outside the box, especially those we carry around with us, and not get dragged into the latest heated social media debate.
rghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter:@Arabianmau
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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