TIMES VIEW
Tools for choice and change
The findings of a study by the University of Salford, that social networking websites can increase anxiety and make users feel insecure, do not necessarily invalidate the usefulness of these new-age tools of communication. These Web-based applications are not only helpful in staying connected with friends and relatives across the globe - rendering distance and time irrelevant - but can also be leveraged in a variety of ways from product marketing to espousing a social cause. True, concerns such as privacy do exist. But like the internet itself, social media too is an evolving creature, constantly engaged in the process of improvement. And as technology becomes more accessible, greater numbers are expected to join the social media revolution.
The main driving force behind social media is its democratic character. It allows users to express themselves in their own unique way. In that sense, online avatars are a virtual extension of the real self, enabling like-minded people to network and share ideas. This was amply demonstrated during last year's Arab Spring movement across the Middle East and north Africa. From Morocco to Bahrain, youth groups effectively leveraged social networking websites to mobilise support for their pro-democracy rallies and demonstrations. Similarly, protesters in Russia and China too are increasingly turning to social media to dissent against authoritarian regimes.
On the business front there are opportunities galore. By combining old-fashioned word-of-mouth publicity with the reach of the internet, social networking websites can provide a fillip to businesses of all shapes and sizes. It is no surprise then that the same principle is being increasingly exploited by politicians and statesmen to reach out to their constituencies. From Queen Elizabeth II to Mamata Banerjee, those in positions of power have indeed woken up to the utility of social media. At the end of the day, social networking websites are what users make of them. Their success lies in their versatility.
Tools for choice and change
The findings of a study by the University of Salford, that social networking websites can increase anxiety and make users feel insecure, do not necessarily invalidate the usefulness of these new-age tools of communication. These Web-based applications are not only helpful in staying connected with friends and relatives across the globe - rendering distance and time irrelevant - but can also be leveraged in a variety of ways from product marketing to espousing a social cause. True, concerns such as privacy do exist. But like the internet itself, social media too is an evolving creature, constantly engaged in the process of improvement. And as technology becomes more accessible, greater numbers are expected to join the social media revolution.
The main driving force behind social media is its democratic character. It allows users to express themselves in their own unique way. In that sense, online avatars are a virtual extension of the real self, enabling like-minded people to network and share ideas. This was amply demonstrated during last year's Arab Spring movement across the Middle East and north Africa. From Morocco to Bahrain, youth groups effectively leveraged social networking websites to mobilise support for their pro-democracy rallies and demonstrations. Similarly, protesters in Russia and China too are increasingly turning to social media to dissent against authoritarian regimes.
On the business front there are opportunities galore. By combining old-fashioned word-of-mouth publicity with the reach of the internet, social networking websites can provide a fillip to businesses of all shapes and sizes. It is no surprise then that the same principle is being increasingly exploited by politicians and statesmen to reach out to their constituencies. From Queen Elizabeth II to Mamata Banerjee, those in positions of power have indeed woken up to the utility of social media. At the end of the day, social networking websites are what users make of them. Their success lies in their versatility.
COUNTERVIEW
More trouble than it's worth
Anil Thakkar
The University of Salford study merely provides empirical backing for what many social media users already know from experience. And it isn't the first study to link social media usage and feelings of insecurity and anxiety, even depression. There have been a slew of them of late - from the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) warning of a problem called 'Facebook Depression' affecting teenagers, to researchers at Flinders University in Australia finding that teenage girls spending long hours on social networking sites are more likely to suffer from self-esteem issues. And a study at Utah Valley University in the US has also shown a correlation between Facebook use and depression.
The causes aren't hard to discern. Our online personalities become an exercise in brand management where the brand is the individual. Thus, most users end up selectively putting information online that makes their lives seem far more interesting than they might be in reality. In a time where a significant number of people are always connected, this leads to a form of constant hyper-competition where they are comparing their lives to the essentially make-believe lives of others via status updates and vacation photos.
There are other problems as well. The AAP points out that having the number of 'friends' on a person's profile be clearly visible paradoxi-cally leads to a feeling of isolation when other people are seen to have more. And relationships can also be complicated by online social networking, whether because of personal information that is best kept private becoming public or reconnecting with old romantic partners - something reflected in the growing incidence of divorces where these sites have a role to play. Ultimately, what could have been a useful communication tool has been turned into an online popularity contest. And that has made it more trouble than it's worth.
More trouble than it's worth
Anil Thakkar
The University of Salford study merely provides empirical backing for what many social media users already know from experience. And it isn't the first study to link social media usage and feelings of insecurity and anxiety, even depression. There have been a slew of them of late - from the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) warning of a problem called 'Facebook Depression' affecting teenagers, to researchers at Flinders University in Australia finding that teenage girls spending long hours on social networking sites are more likely to suffer from self-esteem issues. And a study at Utah Valley University in the US has also shown a correlation between Facebook use and depression.
The causes aren't hard to discern. Our online personalities become an exercise in brand management where the brand is the individual. Thus, most users end up selectively putting information online that makes their lives seem far more interesting than they might be in reality. In a time where a significant number of people are always connected, this leads to a form of constant hyper-competition where they are comparing their lives to the essentially make-believe lives of others via status updates and vacation photos.
There are other problems as well. The AAP points out that having the number of 'friends' on a person's profile be clearly visible paradoxi-cally leads to a feeling of isolation when other people are seen to have more. And relationships can also be complicated by online social networking, whether because of personal information that is best kept private becoming public or reconnecting with old romantic partners - something reflected in the growing incidence of divorces where these sites have a role to play. Ultimately, what could have been a useful communication tool has been turned into an online popularity contest. And that has made it more trouble than it's worth.
Source : The Times of India, July 10, 2012
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