Social media and the rise of the voices

I have been thinking about writing this post for a very long time. Before I begin, I would like to point out that all views mentioned below are my own and therefore, are highly subjective, based on my observations.

The exponential growth of social media applications like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram have bridged the gap between the classes, who were once separated by distance and societal strata. We once waited for hours in lines outside a theatre to get a glimpse of our favourite actor, but now we have access to their personal lives, thanks to their accounts and fan pages on the above mentioned social media apps. Technology has indeed brought people closer than before.

The use of social media is not limited to just following movie stars. We can now follow our favourite sports, see beautiful destinations that we once dreamt of seeing, check-in with our friends, learn what the politicians are up to or simply relax and enjoy the humour of sharp witted individuals, who have dedicated to their lives to the cause of meme-creations and recording funny vines, for the amusement of others.

The possibilities of social media are endless. One can conduct their businesses by advertising their products directly to their customers, without the intervention of an ad agency. If one is dedicated to their art, there is no need to hold exhibitions, but simply upload a picture or a video and have the artwork sold out in a couple of hours. I have come across pages marketing tour packages, design works, products or endorsing other people’s works.

Personally, the most powerful use of social media that I feel is how it empowers the common man to voice out their opinion. Gone are the days when had to think twice before raising their voices against the injustices meted out against us by the system. Advocacy and vocal groups are on every other platform. There are groups, where you can meet like-minded individuals, passionate about the same cause as you. There is a kinship, which you never knew, had existed before all this. One just needs to read the comments to see how people are fearless about their opinions and supporting/defending what they feel are right.

But the same power given by social media also has a dark side to it. When you voice out your opinion, it is not necessary that everyone may agree with what you have to say. It is, but natural to disagree with someone else’s viewpoint and counterpoint what the other may feel is right.

However, not many have heard about such a thing. Instead of accepting and considering every opinion, people have resorted to abuse, trolling, shaming, victimizing every other person who disagrees or has something else to say. This thing has blown to such proportion that people now choose to read the comments, solely for the purpose of replying to those having a different viewpoint. I am sure we all have come across or experienced such behavior on various outlets.

Another way social media is being used is how people have now resorted to passing judgement on everyone else. This closely ties with the above mentioned point. Many folks choose to judge others based on their views, their support for causes and their behavioral pattern. The sudden spike of the Indian youth in politics is a prime example of this. We can see how many have become actively interested in the machinery that runs the country. However, this has led to a segregation which is slowly poisoning the roots of unity in our country. You are now termed as a Bhakt, Aaptard, Khangressi, Pseudo-sickular,etc. based on which political party and their ideology you support. It is indeed disheartening to see such kind of negativity running rampant on the internet.

Add a religious angle to the debate and you are also marked as a traitor and required to prove your patriotism as well.
India does not need such kind of jingoism within, for its progress.

There are also instances, where social media has caused more harm than good. Case in point, the Jasleen Kaur incident, the Rohtak sisters incident etc. where irreparable damage has been caused to the lives of the people involved. It is saddening to read news of so many people committing suicide because of cyber bullying.

Indians are making fun and criticizing the foreign policies of the new US President Donald Trump, but forget to look at the rise of hate and indifference on our own homeland. The amount of hatred and negativity stemming, due to the rise of the voices, being different to ours, is leading the youth towards a path of self-destruction and apathy.

Do I believe all hope is lost? No. Do I believe that we can overcome our differences? Definitely, yes. And I don’t need to look far. Just like the negative points mentioned above, there are group of individuals resisting this negativity. They are not bothered by the divides in our society, but rather focused on humanity as a whole. Some of my favourite pages on Facebook like Love what matters, The Better India, LGBT Equality worldwide, etc. are amazing examples what the power of positive thinking and humanity can do.

Having said the above, I do not condone anyone for their views. Rather, it helps one to look at a particular issue from all viewpoints and provides multiple dimensional approaches to tackle a common cause. We must never forget the power of social media, when people stepped out on the streets to get justice for Jessica Lal, for Nirbhaya or the recent women’s march around the world.

We all think of ourselves as slaves to the system and that the change we want to see in the world is not at all possible. However, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change YOU wish to see in the world.” It all lies with our thinking and how we want to use this power. Social media has indeed empowered us - the onus is now on us on what we want to do with it.

Stripped down to its bare minimum, social media is by the people and for the people. It is time we all learn to use it wisely.