SOCIAL MEDIA: A BOON OR A BANE

With the rapid advancement in technology in today’s era, the world of journalism is also revolutionized. Earlier only print media was available but nowadays various forms of media have been launched. One such latest form of electronic media is “Social Media”.

Social media is a computer-based technology meant to increase the interaction of people within seconds. It is getting a lot of attention nowadays and is all because of its ease of use. The various popular sites include Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. While one has to wait for a newspaper or a magazine to be published after, a stipulated time, social media allows people to interact with others in just seconds.

However, for the first time when a social media site came into recognition was in the year 1997. The name of the first such site was “Six Degrees” that enabled users to upload a profile and make friends. In the year 1999, the culture of blogging sites came into existence, which is a popular one today. After the introduction of the concept of blogging sites in the market, social media got a tremendous boon. Sites like MySpace and LinkedIn came into view and gained a lot of popularity; YouTube came out in the year 2005 and it completely redefined the manner in which people interact with one another. Some popular social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, etc.  were launched after 2006 and since then these sites are ruling the market.

The concept of social media is that it enables the people to interact with others in just seconds ,share their thoughts and views with a large number of people without any physical interaction with them , share photos ,videos ,etc. with others , communicate with their favorite celebrities , follow their lifestyle and get latest updates about what’s going on in the world. It can be attributed as the fastest form of communication in which a large amount of information can be passed on from one place to another, which can be miles apart in just few seconds. It helps people to make friends online and chat with them, follow others and interact with them. The Government Offices are also available online which enable common masses to directly communicate with the authorities and there are numerous instances where the ministries have got themselves involved in the problem solving of the common people. Live chat sessions are organized by the government officials to enable people to interact with them and get solutions to their problems. The various policies of the government are drives organized in the welfare of public are also launched online to maximize the audience. The celebrities also nowadays conduct live sessions to increase interaction with their followers, which acts as a treat for them. Various teachers are also providing online interaction through social media sites to their students to aid them in solving their problems. The various colleges and universities are also available for interaction with the students, numerous exam updates are also released on social sites. A large number of companies allow their customers to interact with them and share their problems online, the discount coupons and numerous other offers are also published by them online for customers’ benefit.

“Every rose has its thorn

Just like every night has its dawn”

Above lines perfectly fit the scenario, which is created by these social sites. Despite having numerous benefits social sites also have some cons. These cons are not limited to only a particular sphere but it is diverse. Due to the various facilities and features provided by the social sites, people and especially teenagers are drifting towards using these sites in a way that is much harmful. Continuously using these sites requires one to remain in front of the computer or mobile screen which is causing a widespread increase in the problems and diseases which can even lead to partial or permanent vision damage. Many cases have been reported so far highlighting the problem of blindness caused due to continuous use of social media. It is a platform, which provides the facility to communicate with others without any physical interaction, which is causing problems because people tend to say those things while typing which is not possible while having some facial interaction. Continuous use of these sites and posting or updating personal information to a large audience also causes widespread conflicts in the personal life. Children who are underage are also using these sites and the some prohibited content is viewed by them, which inculcates lac of senility and increases stubbornness in their behavior. It also causes a drift from the studies of students. Addiction of social media is a growing concern for today’s society and its victim is generally the teenagers. Cyber bullying and Cyber crime cases are increasing rapidly day by day and the victims are generally the teenagers and especially girls. According to a report, there are over 15000 cases of cyber crime registered in India in the year 2016 alone. Due to these, many people are also committing suicide. A recent study suggests that continuous use of social media is increasing the suicidal tendency among the people.

Although, there are many benefits and uses of social media but its cons cannot be overlooked. These sites are gaining popularity but at the cost of our valuable time which is meant for our family, friends, relatives and also studies. Virtual world although increases our interaction with others but real world is much more beautiful. One should no doubt use the technology but in a limited way otherwise the consequences could be very hazardous.