Social network ” was a big hit in Oscars …..but only Oscars ?…nah!!! In reality social networking sites have boomed like never before in the last 3-4 years.The ‘F’word oops!! I mean Facebook is the new buzz word. Facebook ,orkut, twitter are all part of the popular culture. Mark Zuckerberg , the creator of Facebook was the Times man of the year 2010,this proves how Facebook and other social networking sites have evolved and revolutionized the world around. Chatting which was considered the only premise of social networking is passé. Today’s youth is effe“ctively using these social networking sites to express their views , these sites have become a public forum ,where people voice their concerns over burning issues. Be it the uprising in the Arab world which gained momentum because of facebook and twitter so much so that the government not only in Libya, Egypt but also in China had to ban these sites. Closer home we have seen pages on burning issues like CWG or the 2g spectrum scams floating on these sites. Not only this these sites have become a crusader for justice, with people creating pages from justice for Jessica lal to Binayak Sen.Gone are the days when parents would scold their children for whiling time on these sites. Today with the help of these sites , youth keeps themselves apprised about the latest happenings and can comment on the same. Moreover benefits provided by social network sites such as Facebook have made us better off as a society and as individuals, and that, as they continue to be adopted by more diverse populations, we will see an increase in their utility. Anecdotal evidence of positive outcomes from these technologies — such as political activities organized via Facebook or jobs found through LinkedIn — is well-known, but now a growing corpus of academic research on social networks sites supports this view as well. Sending greeting to near and dear ones is a click away.
The 4th pillar of democracy –Media has also realized the potential of this medium and to harness it all major channels have their pages on these sites, these sites have helped in breaking through the traditional role of information disseminator , which was one way to a more effective and attractive two way communication which allows better connectivity with the target audience.Be it the congratulatory pages devoted to Kate-Williams wedding or having condolence pages for shri sathya sai baba. We have it all on facebook and twitter. Not only this even school, colleges and different organizations are having their community pages on these sites which build more connectivity between the students and teachers and brings employees and their bosses closer which affects their productivity. The gen-X is using these social networking sites to have different pages dedicated to their projects and their teachers have no qualms in evaluating their projects online, which saves their time and is popular among students. This is the power of technology. Another example of this is even advertisers today use this medium to market their product. These sites allow the advertisers what is called “Buzz marketing”.
Social networking sites have made the world a global village, whose citizens are not mere sitting ducks but are awakened and enlightened citizens who questions the modern Ravanas with the new improved ram (technology). Social networking is not inherently evil, nor are the social media websites or businesses like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, that provide the services that make social media possible. Businesses and individuals all use social media to improve their lives. Social media is arguably good for us, but it ultimately remains a tool, one that needs to be used, like all good tools, safely, and within a proper context.Facebook is indeed the new face of the world and the twitter the new twittey.
VIBGYOR! 