Mool Raj
For more than eight years, I have been using social media. And I now understand that the use of social media without complete sincerity is of no use, in addition, the brain cell damage caused by engaging in social media usage for long periods of time, particularly for gaining fame is an issue we must ponder upon. This includes the wastage of golden seconds for the headache of followers, likes and positive feedback is too of no use. Rather, one should stop working for other people. Furthermore, the allure of distasteful brazenness, conceit and other vulgar behavioural habits fuelled by social media are no longer hidden. The increased use of keyboards for typing and decreased use of pens and papers for writing is emotionally draining me out. Not only this, the end of common sense and the power of recollection is the another lesser-known negative effect of the increased use of the social media. The rise of psychological diseases, including depression and anxiety, are caused by limitless usage of social media. This is induced by the escalating braggadocios behaviours and the caricature of the self develops feelings of inferiority, trauma to some people. The disease of impressing others over social media and exhausting all possible ways of achieving that end gives us a false sense of ourselves – we can’t achieve self actualisation. The threat of the decline of sensitive and precious relationships and the end of the quality time between parents and children, couples, and friends and the bowed heads infront of old-age people as well as the cycle of digital jealousy. Also, after spending all day on social media, and again wasting time under blankets to sleep late in the morning causes some to get disappointed with the wealth of blessings and prosperity around us is a form of self-torture.
The dissenting opinions among the religious leaders about social media – on the basis of conceitedness and the desire to get fame and fruitless debates – creates doubts and confusions among youngsters. We hear most of the children that surround us, saying that if they could have a phone with all the functions like high gaming and video quality, then they would be among the happiest people. After hearing this several times from them, I came to know that the today’s children are emotionally attached with mobile phones more than their familial relationships, as the contents over social media makes them to feel good.
Here, the question arises, why are modern children attached to mobile phones and other gadgets more than their relationships, especially to their parents? The simple answer to this question is that the over use of mobile phones by parents infront of their children from their infancy and the little quality time with the children develops the norms of loneliness and sensitivity in them, which decreases emotional attachment of children with their parents. Also, due to less interaction between parents and children decreases communication between children and their parents. Also, when they face dangers of bullying and child abuse, they feel that no one can listen to them, and hence their emotional attachment develops bit by bit with gadgets, full of contents that can engage with them. Not only this, when they find the other children over social media sharing the same traumas, it increases more emotions in them, which may lead to a change in their emotional state. Also, the availability of adult content over social media can affect the children’s psychology in many aspects, even which can make them to suffer in silence. Children are also asking caretakers that they want a phone, just for gaming and videos, but in reality they need it to relax and calm themselves. Apart from this all, social media itself provides extreme comfort to the people, the online education, different trainings of different levels, businesses and much more through social media. Then, isn’t it possible to replace negative use of social media with its positive use? Off course! We can do simple thing – start using social media with complete sincerity, so that its use will benefit us here and hereafter.
(The author is a freelance writer and can be reached at [email protected])
