This was a crux of debate hosted by the Capital Club Bahrain, where two experts presented the motion The Benefits of Social Media is Worth the Consequences.
In the hot seats were Ali Sabkar, Founder and President of the Social Media Club MENA, and Steve Royston, Managing Director, Anfield Information WLL and blogger. The Debate was moderated by the Club’s own Andrea Antal-Al Borno, Club Relations Director.
Supporting the motion that social media is worth the consequences Ali Sabkar, advocated the notion with the key points that social media expedites the spread of information faster than any other medium, empowers businesses, facilitates interaction among family, friends and associates; and allows people to collectively accomplish a goal through ‘crowd sourcing.’
Against the motion, stating that the consequences of social media far outweigh the benefits, Steve Royston argued that social media deludes genuine relationships, hinders productivity and attention spans; and is not properly monitored nor has there been enough education to protect the actions of the impressionable.
An audience vote was taken at the beginning and end of the Debate, with a final tally of 85% supporting the motion that the benefits of social media are worth the consequences, compared to the initial vote of 65% before the arguments began. The Debate’s overwhelming message was that social media is an integral part of professional and social networking; however, it must be used sensibly. Individuals and parents of younger networkers must practice and impart terms of use, such as managing privacy settings, keep personal information personal, and generally take precautions to ensure responsible use.
Capital Club’s Debate series focuses on topics that affect the community at large.