“Social media…without memory,” said Professor Tariq Al-Hamid in one of the media meetings this year. In fact, I did not find a better introduction to the article than this brief and comprehensive phrase. 2017 Okaz published the warning of Vint Cerf, the American scientist and the technical father of the Internet, when he said, “Do not ignore papers, your digital memory is in danger.” Today, we are between paper and technical archiving, and between human memory and computer memory of all kinds. Information and its retrieval, and no matter how superior research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience is, it is not possible, rather impossible to rely on it, especially if we are talking about civilization, countries and cosmic events that require documentation.
Why did you quote Professor Al-Hamid? Because it simply reflects one aspect of the problems in humanitarian work in general and the media in particular. I do not want to exaggerate or be biased and say (newspapers are the solution), but at least they are the most deserving of support and attention. And between the power and the bubble (influence) and the astronomical numbers of viewers, followers, etc.. I find that it is frankly a word that sounds the alarm so that we do not wake up after ten years and find that a damned virus has destroyed all data and devices or the Internet has disappeared from our lives (you may laugh, reader) and says this is an exaggeration, but who Was he imagining the Corona pandemic? Yes, in human life, expectations are open and there is no ceiling or even a door for them. They are waves that are rising and fading, and the main player here is (the archive) and nothing else. The issue is not just paper, it is much deeper than this.
I will make the task easier for you and say that the idea of “digital memory” affects three main important aspects: the professional aspect, the social aspect, and the security aspect. Likewise, it affects the level of individuals in the first place, then groups, all the way to states, and concludes with life and its concepts. Professionally, many large organizations lack proper archiving, and the first corrective step is to set up cloud containers and folders for critical matters, regulations, and regulations. It may be a good opportunity to update and develop many of them. It is even important that there be a periodic renewal of many of them.
The social aspect is the clearest, and is reflected in the exaggerations of appearances and relationships, where some (bubbles) indulge in perpetuating a disordered pattern of attachment, spending, and ideal appearance. Even in cases of divorce and promoting it, you find things that a person does not accept except for himself, nor for a person who was part of him at one time. Perhaps the most dangerous disease is (excessive sharing), and once a person publishes media such as photos and videos, you do not know the number of devices that have saved them, and it is not possible to control the data no matter how many applications are taken from protection systems, so hackers are on the lookout, but rather you are surprised when you read some accounts of personalities that are supposed to be (responsible) and you are alienated from their moods and insults to people and their machinations and you are surprised by their greed in delving into every stray and incoming and impulsive responses and situations that may be signs of mental or psychological disorders, so if you find that you are still practicing this absurdity, stop immediately and go to a specialist, whether it is a psychological or technical specialist, to delete Your archive if you want to open a new page, and this is not a call for idealism, but for human self-integrity.
I conclude with the security aspect, which is the trust that we all bear. Digital citizenship is not an end but a way of life. Think once when you tweet positively and think a million times and do not tweet when negativity overtakes you, because even if you are right, you do not know about the external trolling eyes and the research and study centers that analyze Saudi content In social communication, and international university libraries are full of messages of this kind (content analysis), so be more agile, elegant, and intelligent in presenting your message, even if these applications are without memory, make sure that someone has already monitored and watched them before deletion! Stay conscious.
Areej Al-Juhani
