We are all now living in the era
of social media. Communication is now becoming more common and easier through
texting.
While it is easy and spontaneous,
the pit fall of this, is the waning art of face to face communication or even
an urge to pick up the telephone and speak.
The skills one used to develop to
talk to the other person whether they are colleagues or friends or even family
members are less visible now a days. To argue, to debate, to confront and to
arrive at a logical solution in person is getting limited.
It is now easy to pick up a
conversation or a “chat” with a stranger and be connected in the social media!
Even friends are connected more through the social media.
There are two main schools of thoughts about social media
communication, one arguing that social media are dissolving the social fabric
of society by limiting personal interaction and another arguing that social
media increase interaction by allowing faster exchange of information.
While there are pros and cons to both,
like on any subject. I want to touch
upon one of the weird facet of communication in the social media.
If you go through the current
pattern of communications, it is bizarre to see how people unfortunately get
divided over ideologies often. More so, if those are pertaining to politics or
matters relating to religion/faith. And interestingly they are more “vocal” in
expressing their views/ideologies in the social media.
What starts as a friendly banter
often ends up in flares between groups with many taking each sides in a public
domain. This could happen between friends too who are on the opposite spectrum
of ideologies, but otherwise great friends. The concern is - in the social
media, the effect and the counter effects are so strong, many friends end up
altercating over some ideologies in the virtual platform at a time when they
would have actually chilled out over a glass of beer. Not sure if this is
really healthy. I do not know as yet, if this has any impact on the actual
relationship between the friends (away from the virtual world).
Interestingly we are also seeing
eminent personalities getting into such tussles in the public domain. I am not
sure if it is worthy enough for the celebrity. Perhaps it gives them attention
– good or otherwise.
Euphemisms give way for
dysphemisms to take over! Hyperboles give way to rhetorics! And trolling
becomes a part of communication, if not life!
I agree healthy debates lead to
healthy solutions. I do hope that things get structured to the level of seeing
matured social responses (for and/or against) in the larger interest of people
and the society.
A new trend is emerging in the
context of social media. It’s not the end, but perhaps a new beginning to
respectfully come out of an infinite loop of arguments or aporia with this immensely
useful old phrase – Let’s agree to disagree!
