Significance of social media in today’s life (by Preety Pandey) – 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 Preety Pandey

 

Human beings are social animals by nature .They live in a social world and possess an inherent tendency to socialize with other human beings. Social media is just another means to satisfy this need of man. Social media basically means any human communication or information sharing on internet that occurs through the medium of computers, tablets or mobile phones. There are numerous websites, apps etc that has made it possible. Today, social media is considered as one of the fastest means of communication. It has revolutionized the way people interact.

 

The significance of social media is immense in almost all spheres of life. Some of the important ones can be summed up as follows:

Social significance: Social media has helped to virtually unite people otherwise miles apart. It has also become a vital tool to create awareness about any social issue. It helps to highlight an issue that has otherwise not received enough attention. E.g. The GOI has made use of social media to highlight the issue of cleanliness through its Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that created a huge buzz on social media. People get to know about various schemes and programmes of the government through social media. It is also used by NGOs and other pressure groups to further their cause as it appeals to a larger population.

Economic significance: Social media can aid business establishments to flourish with the help of tools like social media marketing. This helps them to reach millions of potential customers with minimum cost involved. Employers and potential job seekers can reach out to each other without the need to come together. It helps start ups and small scale businesses in building a brand for their products and services easily. Customers can also read reviews and feedbacks before buying a product or service and hence make a smart choice.

Educational significance: Social media is regarded as a storehouse of information. People can access as much as and as many as information required just with the help of a click. Live lectures,live sessions etc have become a popular tool these days to reach out to maximum target audiences in a very convenient manner. Social media can help students to nourish their knowledge with a lot of teaching aids available online. Students can watch videos,see images etc.to instantly clear their doubts. Students can also enhance their knowledge by reading blogs,articles,write ups by renowned teachers,professors and thinkers. All of these has especially helped learners in rural areas who do not have physical access to such facilities. Teachers ,on the other hand ,can make use of these tools to make their lectures more interesting and lively. Thus,social media can truly be regarded as a boon in the educational sector.

Political significance: Political parties all over the world have resorted to the use of social media for political campaigns. Social media has helped them to connect with the masses more easily. People, on the other hand, have also become aware of their rights such as right to vote.The general elections 2019 in India are a classic example where social media use has encouraged more and more people to participate in the biggest festival of democracy. Special social media cells are being maintained by almost all the political parties

In the last few years, social media has grown at an unexpectedly fast rate and has captured millions of users worldwide.However, peoplethe world over are divided regarding the consequences of social media use on the society as a whole. Some feel it’s boon, while others consider it as a bane. Thus, it has become a subject of wide debate today.

 

The negative consequences of social media can include the following:

Cyber bullying:Many children have become a victim of it today which can retard their mental development.

Hacking: The loss of personal data can lead to security issues. There are crimes like identity theft and bank details theft.

Addiction: Prolonged use can lead to addiction which can cause loss of focus on other important things like studies. People get so absorbed that they cut off from society.

Relationship frauds: People are lured into fake relationships and they are cheated upon.

Health issues: People often complain of becoming lazy, obese, itchy eyes, loss of vision, stress, anxiety etc after excessive use.

Loss of social and family life: Everyone busy on phone is a common site in a family or social gatherings.

Use by anti-social elements: Radicalization, terrorist acts, cyber crimes etcare committed with the active use of social media as it provides enough anonymity to the perpetrators.

Therefore,it cannot be denied that the wrong and excessive use can lead to many negative impacts on individuals and society as a whole.

The first lines from Charles Dickens’ famous novel “A tale of two cities”- “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, …..” can be quoted here. This is the same paradox we are going through now as well. We are in the best of times with technology making our life easier and also in the worst of times where we are enslaved by the same technology. Thus, instead of getting into the argument of social media being good or bad, we must find ways to use it effectively for the benefit of mankind. This can be done with the active participation of the elected governments, parents, teachers and the society as a whole.

[ 890 Words ]

 

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