Ishfaq Majid 17 April 2019
With the start of the first social networking site “Six Degrees” in 1997, the internet got the attention of the users. Though it was an era of Web 1.0 where one-way communication model was followed. The users accessing social networking sites were able to post their ideas and thoughts but were not able to get any kind of feedback from their friends. With the gradual increase in the usage of Social Networking Sites, these websites started to upgrade their websites to a newer version. And now in the era of Web 2.0, these websites are capable of gaining much attention from the general public. The user base of these websites is increasing now as these websites have introduced more new features on their websites. But the awareness among the general public is a matter of concern. We are living in such an era where every social media user considers himself as “Social Media Expert”. A blog developer considers himself as “Professional Blogger and Freelancer”. Though these people are less knowledgable about the meaning of these terms still these terms can be seen on the profile section of every social media user.
The social media users have changed the shape of popular social media websites like Facebook. Though there are various social media websites like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. still Facebook is the only social media website which has received much popularity among the people. This is because the website has introduced a lot of new features which its users consider beneficial for themselves.
Social Media websites have become a place for uploading horrifying content, the content which is baseless and which is giving sleepless nights to people. Though there are many beneficial ways to use these websites but the way people are utilizing it is a matter of great concern. Anywhere in the world, if any person is committing any sin, the people are recording it and uploading it on these websites. Though these people are aware of the future results still they are uploading it just to increase their member base on their Facebook pages. The religion teaches us to hide the sins instead of highlighting them but still, we are very much desperate to share the content for the sake of enjoyment. Some Facebook pages are even using anti religion posts which helps them a lot in increasing the member base of the page.
Social media has become a powerful tool for spreading the information and that too in a quick way. Because Facebook and Twitter timelines move so quickly, viewers don’t often verify what they have seen. A great deal of content is also spread through images and memes, which may or may not be based on valid information. Of course, many memes are created to be funny, cute or outrageous. Others, however, are intended to influence our thinking. Even links to real articles can be misleading. It’s safe to say that most people who see a headline and link never read the whole article.
It’s really the widespread sharing of fake stories that causes harm on social media. If you’re a person who shares alot of content, perhaps with the aid of social media software, you should be extra careful. It only takes a minute or two to verify something you see on social media. Consider the source of the story. If you’ve never heard of it, Google it and see if it’s reputable. If you don’t have that much time, it’s best to ignore it, especially if it has the appearance of something that could be satire, clickbait or propaganda. By not sharing questionable material you can help to cut down on the proliferation of misinformation and fake news.
Recently in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, one social media user uploaded the naked content of a girl. In response, the girl ended her life. Social Media users need to rethink their roles. They need to look for those opportunities which are going to help the society instead of the destruction. The users need to focus on the positive aspect of these websites. These websites are carrying a bunch of benefits and we need to utilize them. Here the author is of the opinion that the awareness is most important that can play a major role. Before sharing anything on social media, it is our moral duty to understand its possible results. We should never become a problem for any other person. The content that is valuable needs to be shared on social media. If anyone is doing any wrong activity, let us guide him. Let us avoid recording and uploading the content on Social Media. By doing this we can make the Social Media free from this kind of content. Let us make the Social Networking more enjoyable and let others also enjoy.