Social media may have taken the world by storm only a couple of decades ago but the concept is old. Humans, being social animals, have always been trying to find better ways to connect with each other throughout history. This urge to communicate with others when face-to-face interaction is not possible has led to many innovative inventions. Social media is one of the solutions towards this urge of humankind to stay connected. Social networking sites became popular after LinkedIn, MySpace, Orkut (dissolved in 2014) and others were floated in the early 2000s before Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. joined the bandwagon, and it exploded into a phenomenon in no time, something many might have not expected when it first started. Social media revolution completely changed the way information is being disseminated. While it helps people stay connected virtually, enables hassle-free sharing of information and gives voice to the voiceless, and provides a space for unlimited freedom of expression. It seems thats many social media users, especially those from developing countries where internet technology is relatively a recent development, are overwhelmed by this phenomenon called social media if one is to go by the amount of emotional outbursts, fake content and rumours being spread across several social media platforms.
What was supposed to be a platform to ease access to genuine information and enhance communication with fellow human beings is today disinformation-ridden. Users are being bombarded with fake content and hoaxes every single day. While some seem to find pleasure in bullying others and spreading false information intentionally, some have no qualms forwarding unverified content. We don’t have to look at other communities to see what mess lack of social media etiquette can cause because there are enough bullies and keyboard warriors in our own society. It is not uncommon to see apology letters in local newspapers for activities on social media – some for making defamatory comments and others for impersonating big personalities. There are too many people who spread hatred on community lines and who seem to love picking up arguments at the drop of a hat. They have all the time in the world to bully, argue with fellow users on trivial issues and maligning other’s image on social media. But such attitude can cause tremendous amount of stress to someone, somewhere. Your own family members could be the next victim. It’s time people stop abusing social media to disturb others and cause chaos in the society. Active social media users, who are mostly literate young people, should invest their time and energy on productive activities to build a progressive society and spread love instead of wasting their time in the virtual world. Students should get their priorities straight; seek the truth and knowledge. We need more real life heroes and winners in our society, not reel life champions.
