Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
‘Social Media’ gives us the opportunity to humanize our communications and to be more approachable. It is not a media but, I feel the key to listen, engage, and build relationships. ‘Social media’ is the ultimate equalizer that gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage. ‘Social media’ is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. One should use Social Media as an “Idea Generator’, ‘Mapper’ and as a ‘Strategic Compass’ for all of our ventures. It is more like a Telephone than Television. Large majorities in the 11 emerging and developing countries surveyed either own or share a mobile phone, and in every country it is much more common to own one’s own phone than to share it with someone else. In seven of these countries, half or more use Smartphone/Android versions. The users frequently receive so many messages, quotations and comments and ‘Facebook’ and ‘WhatsApp’ users are the maximum recipient of them. Observed that the casual users generally skip many of the useful information but on the other hand largely people stick to postings of fairer sex, posing themselves in different postures and nude wearing and asking for comments. Large chunk of teenagers, the irresponsible, and uncultured segment of the society do not waste even a second to respond with uncultured comments and this way, both donor and recipient, forget the sanctity to be maintained about a matter going to be put in public domain. Many few of us make best use of the valuable postings and comments of intellectuals on social media. Serious thought is needed as to how these best postings can be put to vast public domain scattered to far flung areas to accrue its benefits by the society and common mass. Considerable section of the society is helpless to access ‘Android Phones’ the tools of information as well as of knowledge, being ignorant of operating procedures, non-facilitation of internet services, financial implications of purchasing. Under these crises, I trust, ‘Print Media’ is the only privilege that is having its reach to the last corner of the country by registering its entry in almost every Government Office, Business House and Individual Families. In the background, one ‘Rajan Singh Slathia has forwarded a posting on my ‘WhatAapp’ group ‘We for You’ that enlightens us about certain hard facts regarding ‘Senior Citizens’. I dare to reproduce the contents of the message: “After the age of 70, senior citizens are not eligible for medical insurance, loan on EMI, no driving licence. No jobs are offered due to weak physique. They are left to dependence. But they have yet to pay all taxes on purchases for survival right from Match Box to Medicines and all travels. Does not a senior citizen who has no dependencies in his life need justification? In youth they paid all sorts of taxes that were imposed by the Government. The Government spends crores of rupees on irrelevant schemes, but never plans any relief for needy senior citizens of this country. On the contrary, they reduce interest rates and thereby reduce their income on minor deposits they have to meet their daily needs. What a tragedy to be an Indian senior citizen…!” Aged persons have not only different emotional, physical and resource needs; they also are a resource to be efficiently tapped. Elderly are a treasure of knowledge and experience for the youngsters as well as the economy at large. Dealing with medical expenses becomes difficult as income dwindles during retirement. As our age advances, susceptibility to various ailments increases, which in turn increases the need for a steady flow of income to cover the expenses for treatment as well as prevention. As India is preparing for Economic and Social shifts to fulfill the pledge of 2030, Agenda for sustainable development – ‘No One to be Left Behind’, the concern of ‘Senior Citizens’ pointed above, as an excerpt from Social Media’, needs special attention to give preferential treatment to the ‘Senior Citizens’.
Another posting on Whatsapp group ‘Veterans of J&K Police’ baffled me about ‘Disruptive Technology’ that is, ‘When TV came to my house, I forgot how to read books. When the Car came to my doorstep, I forgot how to walk. When I got my mobile in my hand, I forgot how to write a letter. When the computer came to my house, I forgot the spellings. When the ‘Air Conditioner’ came to my house, I stopped going under the tree for cool breeze. When I stayed in the city, I forgot the smell of Mud. When dealing with Banks and Cards, I forgot the value of money. With the smell of perfumes, I forgot the fragrance of fresh flowers. With the coming of fast food, I forgot to cook traditional cuisines. Always running around, I forgot how to stop. And lastly when I got Whatsapp, I forgot how to talk….’
Social Media is a platform for its users to post their thoughts freely and 24X7, the way we conceive. This way it becomes an admixture of both positive and negative messages.
Let us inform the common man about the message we receive that is visionary and for the benefit of the larger society and warn those indulging in useless postings that are spoiling the image of ‘Social Media’. Lastly it is we who make ‘Social Media’ good or bad none else.