The advantages of Social websites
At the outset, let us consider some irrefutable facts .We live in a time and age where information is just a button press away. We are swayed by information all around us. We millennials want to know, read, understand and then speak our minds about it. That is where social media comes into play. Social media is one of the biggest elements that we live with and cannot ignore it. Social media plays a big role in our lives today. We have the access to any kind of information at just a button push away. Anything that is so vastly expanded has both positives and negatives related to it. The power of social media is very high and has its effects on each individual. It is difficult to imagine our lives with social media today and we do pay a price for excessive use. There is a lot of debate about the effects of social media on the society as a whole. Some feel that it’s a boon whereas other feels that it is a curse.
Social media is a collection of websites, applications and other platforms that enable us to share or create content and also helps us to participate in social networking. Social media is not limited to blogging and sharing pictures, there are a lot of strong tools also that social media provides. That is because that the impact of social media is very high and far reaching, it can make or break images.
Of course, I agree that social media is a topic of controversy today, many feel it’s a boon but there is a majority who feels that it is a curse. It has become an inevitable evil. Mostly people feel that social media has destroyed human interaction with a rapid rate and has modified modem human relationships. But there are others who feel that it is a blessing that has connected us to every part of the world, we can meet our loved ones that are far, we can spread awareness through it, we can send security warnings etc. There is a lot that social media can do. But it is an unarguable fact the presence of social media has made our lives convenient, easier and much faster.
In my opinion, mobile phones have not lowered active social life. On the contrary, they have made our social life more active! You must be wondering I am kidding! No I am not. Let, me prove it. The IT revolution has made the internet network so fast and easily accessible. As a result we are using Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. more often sharing our latest whereabouts regularly, daily, or hourly! We wish our friends, relatives good morning, good afternoon, good, evening, or good night almost daily using picture messages or videos. Was social life ever so active in the past? We send receive invitations, news, and one another’s views through these socializing applications! What will you call this exchange of information? Has it lowered active social life or heightened active social life?
Role of media in Jasmine revolution:
I would like to give some examples as to how social websites can overhaul even governments. In an article “The Emerging Role of Social Media in Political and Regime Change” by Rita Safranek, published in ProQuest, talks about social media as a major catalyst in bringing about the change in many countries that were going through a major period of political unrest. The author talks about the triggering point of the Jasmine Revolution, the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi was captured by passers-by and posted and re-posted on YouTube for everyone to see. Furthermore, the mass protests at his funeral also spread quickly all over. The author goes on to say that despite very strict censorship of the internet by Tunisia’s government, Tunisians were able to emerge as highly connected – 33% of the Tunisian population uses the internet, 16% uses Facebook and 18% uses Twitter.
Although the government did block YouTube during the crucial period of protests, it was unable to stop experienced bloggers and activists from finding alternate methods like by using private and proxy networks to post and re-post various contents and videos all over the cyber world. In fact, there was an eight percent increase in the number of Facebook users in Tunisia in the beginning of January 2011. The nature of the content being shared also changed with time – more content related to the current political situation and unrest was being shared. Although the author credits social media with helping organize the protest and connect activists, she also goes on to say that the social media will not be helpful with running the country which is the current concern in the country at present.
Social media and Jallikkattu Protests:
In my opinion, the success of Jallikkattu is a recent example. The youth of the entire state of Tamil Nadu clamoured for the right to conduct a traditional sport that half of them had only seen on television. How did the Jallikattu case that has been in court for years, suddenly capture the imagination of the masses, enough to make them skip school, college and work . and take to the streets? How they gathered in millions in the Marina beach and camped there for weeks to press their demands in the most incredible manner. The answer to this is buried ‘ beneath superior internet connectivity, hash tags, viral videos, disenchantment and the post-truth phenomenon. Tamil Nadu boasts of spectacular rural teledensity, well ahead of most other parts of the country.
Student B:
In my strong opinion, social media is the single most factor causing depression and anxiety in people. It is also a cause of poor mental growth in children. Increased use of social media ‘ can lead to poor sleeping patterns. There are many other negative effects like cyber bullying, hacking, etc. as well. There is an increased ‘Fear of Missing out’ (FOMO) at an all-time high i in youth because of social media. Such ill inclinations need to be prevented by educating boys, girls and vulnerable women against unguarded use of social websites.
Conclusion: One must carefully weigh the positives and the negatives before engaging excessively in social media. If used in the most judicious way, social media can be a boon for mankind.
