Significance of social media in today’s life (by Bhaskar Das) – APSC Mains Essay

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Significance of social media in today’s life – APSC Mains Essay

(Essay submitted in APSC Mains Essay Writing Contest 2019 – Essay Topics for week 1)

 

Significance of social media in today’s life

By Bhaskar Das

 

Social media such as facebook, orkut, twitter, instagram, word press etc. are based upon computers and internet connectivity. This media has developed and spread in recent years in the entire world at an amazing speed. People engaged in social media are experiencing a virtual world. Here a person shares his or her personal details, likings, disliking and emotions with a number of other persons known, slightly known or stranger. The exchange is global.

Positive impact of social media

Social media platforms have made it easier to remain in touch with a large number of persons at a relatively lower cost and higher efficiency. The social media has given shape to a global virtual world. Without coming into actual physical contact one talk to another person on videos on the screen of the mobile set or laptop. Social media may substantially contribute towards social revolution. The anti-corruption crusade led by Anna Hazare became extremely popular mostly through the platform of social media. For many business social media is strong tool for business promotion and marketing. Quality content, products and services are easily accessible online today. Before buying a product or service customers can read the reviews and feedback and hence make a smart choice. Social media helps to get the news and happenings in just a click. Social media can create awareness and many noble causes run by NGOs and other social welfare societies and also fight crime. It also helps the students to nourish their knowledge with a lot of teaching aids available online.

Negative impact of social media

One aspect of social media is the individual freedom of expression which is unchecked and without any well defined rules and regulations. Thus the media can be used as a formidable propaganda tool. It may be used to motivate people to accept views which are communally offensive, vulgar and in many instances violent. A number of terrorist organisations round the world are exploiting the social media to propagate their views and to motivate the young minds to take to violence against a section of the society. A person getting bullied and abused on social media through messages may feel helpless. Another form of offence in social media is the posting of derogatory remarks about individuals and posting of obscene photographs and videos, real or morphed. Posting of derogatory pictures of famous personalities like Shivaji and Bal Thackeray, offensive remarks on religious leaders and religious practices, the hate speeches and videos shared through social media are the harbingers of social disturbances ,communal disharmony and terrorism in various parts of the world. A case in point is the video of a tiger in a Delhi Zoo lynching a helpless man who had accidentally fallen down into campus and in front of clicking cameras. A similar case is the slitting of throats of the victims by terrorists in vivid videos. There are crimes like identity theft and bank details theft that can harm any individual. Prolonged use of social media by young people causes to lose focus on studies. Honeytrap and MMS porn are the most caused fraud online. In India celebrities are treated as God like stature by their fans but sometimes their tweet creates horrendous situations just like actor Salman Khan’s twit that he is tired after fighting shooting scene like a raped woman. This kind of mindset of influential people diminishing the stature of women in our society.

Despite having many side effects, the growth of social media is irreversible. It is desirable that the users of the social media services should be responsible about their own duties. Everybody should desist from the misuse of these services. Social media which knows no caste, creed, colour, social status or geographical boundaries is really exciting and a great discovery of the present century. It should be utilized for the upliftment of the human society not its downfall.

[ 640 Words ]

 

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APSC mains 2018 test series GS & Optional Paper