Essay – The impact of social media on social relationships
The impact of social media on social relationships Essay: The Greek legendary philosopher and political scientist, Aristotle professed, “ Man is by nature a social animal.” The quote signifies that social relations and their consequent social interactions are the very essences of human existence. However, the advent of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter has revolutionized the nature of social relations from real-life interactions to predominantly digital in nature.
Discussion
The advent of social media in India was ushered in by ‘email’ by ‘Internet Explorer’ in the early 2000s followed by the unprecedented popularity of ‘Orkut’ in 2005. The two digital platforms set the stage for digital communication in particular and influenced social relations and interactions indelibly. The emergence of next-generation social media platforms such as Facebook and Whatsapp and Twitter has brought a paradigm shift in relations and interactions in society. In India, over 500 million individuals are estimated to be regular social media platform users till late 2019 making it the second largest user base after China. Like two sides of the same coin, social media to has a positive and a negative side to it. Platforms such as Facebook and Whatsapp have broken down the barriers to communication. For instance, an individual dwelling in India is capable of communicating with others across the world at one’s convenience without the hassles of time limitations and distance. The liberal influence of social media is reflected in the interactions occurring in society. As observed during the challenging times of Covid 19, the platforms allowed netizens to interact by complying with the social distancing norms placed to curb the spread of disease. Social media has eliminated social barriers based on religion, caste, creed, race and social background. For instance, individuals belonging to backward castes or minority religions like Muslims have a platform to express their ideas and experiences to a larger audience, thereby validating the Right to Equality enshrined in the constitution. It has also emerged as a novel source of education and employment opportunities. Platforms such as ‘Vedanta’ has enabled students from even backward sections of society to access education irrespective of trying times and difficulties posed by distance and financial situations. The Right to Education of all children is thus met through digital platforms. Social media has also been used by several political parties to propagate their voices through websites such as bjp.org and by the public to express their political opinions on platforms such as Twitter. In contradiction social media has been a polarizing agent by developing the digital divide. The digital divide refers to a phenomenon where a class of society can utilize social media platforms whereas the other half living below the poverty are shunned from the benefits of digital media. In a nation where 16% of the population lives in poverty, social media is futile in uniform development. The phenomenon of cyberbullying is another demerit of social media. Almost over 85% of youth have faced cyberbullying in the form of trolling and hate speech proving digital platforms are detrimental to the mental youth of the nation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social media is a double-edged sword that has brought in a paradigm shift in the sphere of social interaction and communication by eliminating barriers such as distance, time, class and language. It has been a medium of liberalizing society of its orthodox outlook and ensuring the continuance of education, however, it has polarized society through the digital divide and internet evils such as cyberbullying.
FAQs on The impact of social media on social relationships Essay
Q1. Which platforms popularized social media?
Ans: The advent of social media in India was ushered in by ‘email’ by ‘Internet Explorer’ in the early 2000s followed by the unprecedented popularity of ‘Orkut’ in 2005.
Q2. How has social media aided communication?
Ans: As observed during the challenging times of Covid 19, the platforms allowed netizens to interact by complying with the social distancing norms placed to curb the spread of disease.
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