Moroccans and Facebook

 
Omar Bihmidine is a high school teacher of  English. He holds a BA from Ibn Zohr University, Agadir. His writings take the form of short stories, poems and articles, many of which have been published in Sous Pens magazine  and  ALC Oasis magazine in Agadir.

   Sidi Ifni, Morocco,

Five million Moroccans log onto the giant social network Facebook, reported national channel Medi 1 TV. 

Whereas some Moroccans have admitted that they are inveterate users of Facebook and regret wasting their quality time navigating through it, others believe otherwise, arguing that Facebook has helped them make the acquaintance of many friends and has helped them keep track of what is going on across the world.

With regards the use of Facebook for different purposes, the often asked question is: Do these five million Moroccans use this social network to communicate with friends and to boost their general culture or do they use it to spread unwanted and devastating information?

While some of these five million Moroccans use Facebook to improve their professional and personal lives, others misuse it in that they spend their time on pirating others’ information and damaging their virtual friends’ reputation.

“Facebook is useful for communication and getting to know one another; at the same time, we are aware that it has destructive effects, especially on our health” a young Moroccan told Medi 1 TV.

“As a user of Facebook, I know about the positive and negative points of this social network. And I always try to focus on the positive points and avoid spending hours on it as is the case with the majority of Moroccans,” said another individual to Medi 1 TV.

In an interview with MWN, Jamal Ezzaoui, a Moroccan teacher of Arabic, said “Even though I have a Facebook account, I don’t usually use it. I would rather read than waste my time online.”

“Face-to-face communication is more important than the so-called virtual communication, ” he noted . In an interview with MWN, Farid Zalhoud, a Moroccan French-language poet and writer, staunchly advocated Facebook, arguing that “Without Facebook, we writers and poets can not make ourselves heard and read. It is thanks to Facebook that more Moroccans continue to identify with us”.

Likewise, Hafid Hachimi, a Moroccan teacher of philosophy told MWN, “I have done some research on sociology and I know how Moroccans use Facebook. I am afraid that the vast majority have misconceptions about it. If used properly, Facebook can make our lives better, especially in the fields of education and communication.”

On the other hand, Hachimi added “If misused, Facebook can prevent our fellow Moroccans from doing far more important things in life, such as living the real life and enjoying it outdoors”.



 The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are only those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of  MoroccoPens.