Unsocial Media
Social
media is one of the most entertaining places for people like me who don’t know
how to deal with real societies. I love going through the comments appended to
well-written articles whose links are given in Facebook and Twitter – the only
two social medias I’m fairly active at. The comments massacre the very spirit
of the article concerned. I wonder whether any of the commenters actually read
the articles.
How
many bhakts, devotees, pilgrims, retreat-goers, or the like, have actually read
the scriptures for which they fight tooth and nail on real as well as virtual platforms?
Do
people read anymore?
But,
be sure, they write. And they write copiously. Social media is full of copious
writers.
Does
that make it an unsocial place really? I won’t answer that affirmatively. If
you restrict your friends’ circles to a few, you get the kind of societies you
like. I hope so. But I have accepted friendship requests indiscriminately just
because it’s all virtual and I don’t mind the entertainment.
It
doesn’t entertain really. It nauseates most of the time. But my entertainment
is that nausea which is a constant reminder of the world’s standards. It is a
good warning for me. A warning against stepping out into the real world.
In
the real world, I stay put in my house and workplace. Shut off. Self-imposed
imprisonment. The social media sustains that imprisonment.
I agree. It isn't entertaining at all. People write now because they can, and not because the they know anything.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I don't discriminate requests, I accept anyone who calls themselves a writer. So, it used to bother me when my supposed friends started verbal (written) abuse. I don't mind extremist viewpoint, but the attitude if someone tries to contradict their POV.
But I don't think it's just social media. These people are truly like they're on social media. I don't think social media corrupts people, it just at times, shows their true colours. Our society itself has become asocial. Social media is just a reflection.
Indeed they are just what they are even when they enter public platforms. That's why I said social media is a virtual society. I also agree with your view on the nature of human societies. We need to change our definition as social beings.
DeleteKindly excuse my typos ��
ReplyDeleteWell on point....be in Covid or not, self-isolation, perhaps, is the gateway of peace and retaining the sense in self...I envy my husband, who doesn't have any social media association, not even WhatsApp, except his writing platforms....people certainly don't care reading more than a complete sentence, think beyond a breath...it runs on likes without knowing what is likeable...reagrds
ReplyDelete