Are We Ready for a Course on Social Media?

It was just some 20 months ago that the world was going gaga over social media being the most effective tool for making a ‘Change’ in the society and making people aware and raise their voices against the atrocities around them. Social Media which meant networking through websites like Facebook, Twitter and Orkut became the virtual address for almost every person.

It was the most famous Egyptian revolution that turned the ‘Just for fun and dating’ networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Orkut into a network for revolution which not only upturned a dictator but also allowed people to come together for a cause. It was never before that social networking sites played a major role in bringing upon the much needed change in the society.


Even India embraced the new phenomenon with warmness, government organisations connected with common people through social networking sites and the new wave was accepted as the fifth pillar to the estate of our nation which was resting on the four pillars of Legislature, Executioner, Judiciary and Media up till now. Even the Indian Police Organisation acted on the complaints posted on these networking sites. “It inspired me to join the Anna movement and do something for my country. I never knew that facebook can result in making a human chain to stand together for a cause,” exclaims Abhinav, a student of class XII.


The phenomenon spread at such a speed that a nation where half the population had not attended school, saw 60% of its population hooked to social networking sites but no one was complaining as it was all about connecting for fun and sometimes for a cause too. Not just campaigning but promotion of businesses also came along with it. The social media became a huge hysteria among the youth who were hooked to it almost every second of the day and with internet accessible on phone it took no time for social media to reach every nook and corner of the world.  


All was going well, until dark clouds started hovering over the new born fifth estate of our sovereign nation. It all started with a rumour which forced many people to evacuate a city in just few hours. The issue was riots in Assam, the impact of which was also felt across the country. The police and state governments were trying hard to maintain peace and trust of the north eastern population who were away from their homes. It was just some dim-witted status on Facebook threatening of attacks on them that triggered the northeastern masses to leave for their home towns.


“I work here in Delhi but that day when the rumours went out on facebook, I was scared too. My friends and family wanted me to come home immediately but I stayed on as there was no violence here in Delhi. What happened, was a shock for me, I could never imagine that a few comments could turn into a mass exodus of people from a city at such a large scale. It was highly immature of people to trigger such nuisance,” shares Sonel an employee at Gurgaon from Assam.


Panic struck, innocent people from the north east were in no mood to trust on the assurance by the state government or even from the central government. All were hoping that the rumours which were running around all over the nation, all thanks to newly born fifth estate are untrue but no one wanted to take any chances with their lives.


The “Big Brother of Social Media”, our good old news channels, news papers and radio stations were all trying to convince the masses to keep calm, but in vain. The government was shocked and helpless, despite all their attempts to assure people of safety and peace they were not ready to believe real humans’ promises but were dead scared of few threatening words wiring on the internet.


It was then that everyone realised that the coin of social media has a flip side too. Were we too quick to embrace the online networking phenomenon? Or is it just a steep curve where we need to go slow to reach our destination safely? Is the government justified when it debates on the banning of social media? Is censorship justified when it comes to security of the nation? Will it not confine our freedom? The nation is going through a speculation on the usage of social media. The youth which is living in the virtual world seems clueless on the impact that social networking is or can trigger. There are no guidelines and there are no rules to follow when you log on to the virtual world.


Is it the time to mentor the youth towards the healthy usage of social media rather than stopping them to use it? Are we ready to teach it in schools and colleges? Should we take a firm step towards social networking sites or should we forget it as some bad incident? The moral thinkers are all speculative, a restriction on social media will restrict freedom of expression and no guidelines may end up in a scenario witnessed recently. “Dark patches are an inseparable part of a bright path,” explains Shubho Sengupta, digital consultant for social media who also conducts workshops on the usage of social media.


“We cannot ignore a phenomenon with a magnitude that managed to throw a dictator away from his throne in Egypt and Libya. Yes, the recent hysteria and mass exodus of north eastern people was a big jolt on the way of usage of the social networking but I don’t think that blocking it for a day or two will make any difference to the menace minds. Government should carve out a middle way to incorporate the yang and do away with the yin,” he adds.


Include it in the curriculum stipulates Mr Sengupta. “It was more than one and a half decade ago that, Indian masses met the broadcast media and welcomed 24 hours news channels passing on the information and building opinion. The broadcast media also faced questions about its authenticity and credibility, it was then that a set of guidelines or media ethics were followed and were also taught in institutes. Social media, which is just half a decade old has the potential of being a major tool of building opinions and formulating campaigns but without guidelines and ethics it as good as an unpolished diamond.”


“It is time that we open the gates instead of closing it down and welcome the youth to create a path to be walked down peacefully and with wisdom.  We need to teach them about the usage and impact of the fifth estate of our nation. It is only through awareness and knowledge that we will be able to include the social media in our lives. The time is now and here and government should take firm steps,” he views.


It is only time that can tell whether we need to be taught or not but the downfall of social media from a revolutionary tool to a violent trigger, calls for an effective step to be taken by the government. More than the guideline it is the sense of responsibility and moral knowledge that is required to make social media stronger in true sense. Can a course on Social Media bring about that conscientiousness? Let’s wait and watch…