How reliable is social media?

It has been a sad couple of weeks now and South Africans still remain enveloped in a sombre mood as the world icon Nelson Mandela, commonly known by his clan name Madiba, continues to fight for his life in hospital. It is important to emphasise his greatness for he is not just your common man. He fought against the white minority rule in South Africa, and like the hero he is, he baptised South Africa as a “Rainbow Nation” one which accommodates everyone - for it belongs to all those that live in it.Nelson Mandela ought to be remembered as the fatherly figure that campaigned for forgiveness and reconciliation. Asking people to unify and love each other, irrespective of skin colour. It is in fact safe to say that he is the father of freedom and democracy in South Africa.However, today, like so many other people, the ailing icon has fallen victim of a sick joke on social media. Rumours have spread like a wild fire about the end of the former South African President. It is absolutely inexcusable how the social media has been used to misinform people. The public is ignorantly twitting and putting up Facebook statuses praying for his soul to rest in peace, now much as these wishes might be out of kindness and yes they must be welcomed as such, it is very insensitive to declare someone dead before the person dies.It is very unfortunate that social media is the main source of information for so many young people around the world today. However, to what extent should this kind of media be trusted? In fact it has gone so much out of hand that one of the online newspapers in South Africa quoted Mac Maharaj criticizing social media for reporting unverified information about the ex-president. It might be argued by a few that a 94-year-old man on life support is clinically dead but does that give anyone the right to declare him dead if his doctors have not? It is also understandable that he is a public figure and the media will impose on his privacy but how about his family - the people that still want him to live a little bit longer, can they at least be given the chance to keep their hope high and not be shuttered by hungry vultures seeking for cheap popularity. Death is indeed a tragedy and very mysterious at that but please understand that nobody is taught how to deal with tragic events such as death and more often than not, people will always want to have their loved ones around no matter how serious the situation might be. Declaring him dead does not help the situation.Yes, some South Africans have accepted that it is probably the end of the road for Mandela. However, some have refused to retire into that idea, and that should not be judged as a weakness. As human beings we are attached to our loved ones, it is normal that we want them to live forever regardless of whether it is possible or not. The bitter truth is that we are not immortal and it is advisable that South Africans prepare for the end but that does not mean that you should be the carrier of false bad news on social media.It is with no doubt that social media has its advantages but it is also regrettable that there is no editor on the other side to edit what gets posted on Facebook or Twitter to separate facts from lies. It is a shame that there is no way of creating credibility on social media.It is even more shameful that social media is the growing source of information obtained through citizen journalists that are not bound by the ethics of the journalism profession.