Let us ask ourselves a question, why was social media created for? To connect people, from distant places, get us contacts, friends, potential life partners, dates, etc etc. basically, connecting people was the main motive behind the social media. This started from emails, social networking sites, media houses, online streaming, and here we are reading blogs too. These all are examples of social media, how two people, unknown with no physical contacts, no friendship, no relationship, get to know each other and connect. Everything is fine, seems like a big fat happy fairy tale. But like every fairy tale, there is a negative part to it too. I’ll take you through this one by one, from minute to huge.
- Ever noticed the changing format of your emails, how they’ve changed according to the format of your operating system? They’re customizing your view, according to their choices. You seem to like it because, it’s better than the previous. But actually, you’re getting trapped in an ecosystem that is luring into thinking you’re having the best for yourself.
- Not enough to convince you, ever checked their terms and conditions and how every message of yours is being surveilled according to their ‘standards of living in a community’. They’re making your life better, fine agreed. But, isn’t freedom more important and beautiful than the tasty pizza in a house-arrest?
- The ad industry has shifted totally to digital, meaning a handful of coders, are controlling the way your minds react to brands, exactly how many times, you need to see that particular brand of shoes such that the next time you hear ‘shoes’ you remember ‘ABC Shoes’.
- Every wondered, why most of them are free? You’re giving them your personal data, a kind of wealth they can never acquire by buying stuffs, but only by trust.
- Social media is a country without borders, democratic or non-democratic, I haven’t been able to figure it out yet. I’ll let you know, if this post doesn’t gather any unnecessary attentions.
Your question, now that I have told you everything, you’ve instilled a fear in you, what should you do? Try to remain a paranoid. Feed only what you think is required to get your job done. Know that you’re the master of your own life, and don’t let them change that. The humanity doesn’t need another GOD to govern us. We’re happy being free.
Kaushik Thinks 