SOCIAL-MEDIOPHILIA

I often wonder what will happen to this world without the myriad forms of social media. Well apparently a major part of this social networking obsessed human civilization might cease to subsist because a world without social media is like air without the oxygen supply (I might obviously be one of them).

Every morning the first thing I would do (probably every other person of this so-called gadget freak generation) as soon I wake up is NOT look at the vibrant sunshine with its mystical rays falling through the window on my cot or hear the chattering cacophony of the birds chirping from the mango tree outside my house or be distracted by the noise of clutter of plates dropped into the kitchen sink by the lady in my neighboring house after preparing breakfast for her husband and kids, BUT look at the shimmering glow emitted by my SMARTPHONE screen hoping to see with my half closed eyes for some notifications on my Whats App, Facebook or Twitter. Even amidst a busy work schedule a little beep from my smartphone is sufficient enough to distract me and amplify my inquisitiveness to know what that notification was and from whom. 

Back in 2008, I joined Facebook. It was a hoot at first because it was exciting to connect with all the old friends from grade school, high school, and college that I had lost touch with. But I had to admit, I didn’t really understand it at first. Social networking sites have gained immense power that it defines the self-esteem quotient of an individual who is a part of it and even influences one’s mood. The number of likes for a photo upload or a status update on Facebook would typically define your personality attributing to a boost in your moral and contributing to your chin up. A person who is not on Facebook is probably termed “uncool” and even ostracized and classified as “old-fashioned”.  I quite remember the number of times I used to check my FB account to see if the  photo I had updated last had received any likes and as the count increased, I attained an internal sense of accomplishment ( as though I have reached the pinnacle of Mount Everest after an arduous journey). 

Being famous on Instagram is basically same as being rich in Monopoly. Having an opinion posted on Twitter is the in-thing of the current times. Being on Twitter is unofficially claiming ourselves to be a part of this so-called-intellectual circle. Often on the front page of news magazines/papers I encounter these wars of words called the Tweets between famous celebrities highlighted in bold. These people incessantly keep fretting and fuming over some insignificant opinions on them posted by some unwanted elements and abuses them in the same way and millions of people around the country follow these ludicrous conversations. Does this really matter when there are so many economical and political crises in our nation which needs a bigger attention?

At times with advance in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence I am even petrified and intimidated by the scope of access to our personal information by all these social networking websites. Recently one of my cousins had shared me her pregnancy pictures on Google+ and then the next day I received advertisements about contraceptive pills on my Gmail. Then there was this other time when I received e-mail alerts on travel packages after I got some trip photos from some friends. I was stupefied to see how our private information is getting leaked into these media platforms. What if social media is some real human? I don’t think anyone else knows me so well or rather stalks me this close.

Where are we heading to in this mad race of social media/technology addiction? Have we gone too far?

 

Suddenly it dawned to me as I was introspecting about this crazy narcissism and being an avid social media user that it is no different from being a drug abuse – it is yet another addiction in different form cutting us from the real world and driving into this imaginary virtual world of illusion.

I closed my eyes and traveled back in time 25 years ago. I was a five or six year old little girl, naive and my innocence still intact, playing on the street in front of my house with my brother and other real human friends (not like the virtual ones on Facebook). It was an era, a world “sans” Social Media. Relatives and friends throng my house during the festive occasions. Sweets and gifts get interchanged. Kids grew up listening to bedtime stories from their grandparents, visit friends homes for playtime, chit-chat, birthday’s et al. Those were the days with a lot of human interaction- a personal connection with everyone.

Today my five year old son plays on his Nexus tablet, I see the photos of my cousin’s new born on Facebook and send my likes and wishes there, my friends sends me images of cakes for my birthday on Instagram, even the senior citizens like my in-laws/parents in order to cope up with this technology advancement and connect to their kids and other loved ones have adapted to the modern trend and hooked onto Whats App or Facebook (at times intruding the younger generations’ privacy even on these mediums by their inappropriate actions/usage due to lack of clarity of how to use such platforms). Owing to lack of accessibility to the people due to distance, living in different places or other reasons the social media controls the realm and tries to unite people virtually. Although I admit that the social media is not the root of all evil, it has eventually become the emotional, personal, ethical, sentimental controller of all the techno homosapiens.

On a positive note it is evident that these media platforms provide an exposure to a rich source of information and aid in easy communication lest not to forget their flip side. Each of these has their own pros and cons. It is left to one’s discretion to use their positives in an optimal way and not become a prey to their addictive unrestrained usage.  Ahem... looks like I just received a beep alert on my smartphone. Gotta Go <Grin>.