Social media and freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is one of the coveted fundamental rights available in most developed countries, and even most developing countries claim to offer this right to their residents. Since the advent of social media, this right has been a subject of discussion, mainly due to the use of social media to spread misinformation and propaganda related to hate and social disharmony. The main issue is whether governments should regulate social media to control its contents or whether social media should be treated like we treat the individual right to freedom of speech where anonymous speech is protected? As we all know very well now, currently, social media is used by various groups and countries to spread propaganda by using anonymous accounts, especially during election times to influence the outcome of that election. No doubt, this is a serious issue. However, is it serious enough to curb one of the most valued personal rights, the right of freedom of expression? Of course, governments will argue that it is important to control social media, but as people, do we want our governments to control what we can and cannot say on social media? These are some of the questions this issue raises. Also, note that there is no absolute right to freedom of speech anywhere, there are minimum reasonable restrictions, but it seems at least on social media, these restrictions are not enough to curb the harmful effects of free speech.

Whether the government likes it or not, the reality is that social media is the new platform where most interpersonal communication happens. Nowadays, most people communicate through their devices, mainly through their phones. Even during face-to-face meetings, people are busy either posting on social media or browsing the contents of social media. People derive most of their news and other information from the internet, and mostly from social media posts. So, social media dominates our medium of expression, and this is the reason governments are interested in controlling it. Also, I agree that social media is used to spread propaganda and misinformation. People are so siloed in their information chambers either by their own choice or by algorithm manipulation that feeds them only with content that validates their ideas and opinions, it is easy to condition their minds. This is one of the main reasons why social polarization is on the rise. People treat their ideological opponents as enemies, they don't just disagree, but they also hate with whom they disagree. Why? Because they are more convinced than ever that the other side is not only wrong but that their presence is also bad for their society. This is the extent of polarization. There is also a rise in cult-like worshipping of political leaders and celebrities, there are not just followers, these followers think and behave like devotees. They do not want to hear anything critical about their demagogue. If anyone says anything critical, these devotees attack viciously. Also, countering bad speech by putting in a lot of good speech is not working that well. People with access to resources dominate any conversation by using paid or fake accounts where people post the same or similar content propagating certain views to dominate the discourse. This is where we are currently, and it is predicted to get worse from here. However, even after all the risks and drawbacks associated with social media, I don't think the government should control free speech on social media and put more restrictions than what we already have. Why? Just because once the right to free speech is compromised, it rarely returns to its original form. Imagine, how much power any government will have if they can control the biggest communication platform used by the current generation. The risks of giving control to the government outweigh the benefits. If at all they want to propose some additional reasonable restrictions, let them propose them first so that people to review and evaluate them. This is not a partisan issue, everyone's right to freedom of speech, irrespective of their party affiliation, is on the line, hence we all need to think carefully. The idea of having some order and reliability is appealing, but not at the cost of our fundamental right of freedom of speech. Let's protect our fundamental rights first, social media can take care of itself as its users mature and become aware of its strengths and weaknesses, let's give this platform some more time, it is still too early to call for any government help.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com   

Galvanized and glossy unhappiness

If we glance at social media posts, we can't miss noticing that almost everyone is having a great time and is politically astute with very strong views and opinions about almost every topic. These are not bad things at all, everyone should be happy and be aware of what is happening around them socially and politically. However, if we look closely, this is not about happiness or awareness, this is all about sharing our curated lives and propagating our beliefs. Previously politicians and celebrities used to do this, now, almost everyone is doing it. I remember that people used to accuse politicians and celebrities of being double-faced, displaying something, but in reality, being something else, that is, being fake. Now, social media is one big mall where fake lives are on display and almost everyone is shopping or at least window shopping there. Even though people know it's fake and manipulated, people can't stop, the same way, they couldn't stop reading about the fabricated lives of film stars and politicians during the pre-social media era. Social media has been recognized as one of the addictions that people suffer from. Many people suffer from either a chronic desire to share their curated lifestyle or browsing glimpses of the curated lifestyles of others. Both these things create an undue pressure of sharing perpetual happiness, because this is what we see on social media, others are having a great time and are happy all the time, so, we want to display that we are doing the same. Also, not everyone is happy to watch others having a great time, many get stressed and become unhappy and dissatisfied about their own lives. The result of all this is most of the things posted on social media are well-curated. We see the galvanized and glossy lives of everyone. Everyone is either having a party or attending some party. I am not saying that there are no exceptions, of course, genuine and useful information is also shared on social media and many people benefit from such information. Many people use social media to spread social and political awareness and help others, but definitely, narcism through the display of wealth and self-centered posts is on the rise.

Not long ago, people used to watch glossy and curated accounts of the lives of celebrities in magazines and on TV programs. It was presented as if those people were having a great time with all their money and luxurious lifestyle, but once in a while some ugly or tragic details of their lives used to come out indicating that what looked so glossy and galvanized was apparently not that glossy and galvanized. People who are happy and having a great time look happy and make everyone around them happy, they share not only their happiness but also help others to become happy. But an over-the-top and exuberant display of perpetual happiness is many times used to hide underlying unhappiness. Actually, it is tragic that people are scared to share their vulnerabilities and struggles, they only want to display their shining side, this is what the legacy of those celebrity magazines has taught us and we are getting good at it. Social media is becoming a place to display our glossy lives and window-shop for ideas from others to improve our display. It is hard to be real, it is hard to accept mistakes, it is hard to share our struggles, it is hard to ask for help, and it is hard to stand for others. But isn't all this makes us human? All this makes us a family and cultivates a sense of community. What type of community it is where you can't share your true feelings? How and when did we forget all this? We are so busy showing others that we are happy, that we forget to pause and enjoy our happiness. The process and pressure of sharing our status on social media are consuming us completely. Let's take a pause and enjoy. Of course, share stories and pictures, but also show the real you in that along with all that glamor and glitter, otherwise, what's the difference between the reel life and real life. Finally, don't fall for the propaganda that we must be happy all the time. This is not possible, as the weather changes our situations and moods also change and that's what is life. Remember, social media is for you, you are not for social media.  

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Difference between connection and communication

Social media has changed the way we communicate. One can argue that it has increased our connectivity with the world which was out of our reach just a few years ago. Today, we can connect with anyone active on social media and initiate communication. But the question is are we really connecting with each other or just communicating. One of the reasons is that we are confusing communication with the connection. During my childhood, having more than 10 or 20 friends was almost impossible, we did not know that many people of our age. I and my friends used to meet almost every day and chat for hours, we used to spend so much time with our friends that our parents had to drag us back home. We used to get lectures from our parents regularly about time spent with our friends. Today our friend lists run into hundreds or thousands, but still, we feel lonely or disconnected. Why?

We now have platforms available for us where we can communicate and can communicate continuously if we want. However, communication does not always mean connection. Most of the communication on social media platforms has become a type of broadcast where one party says and another party listens, there is rarely a constructive dialogue. Some platforms have become a place to argue and score points over your opponents. There is a lot of communication, but hardly any connection. This is why even though people are busy communicating, they feel empty. Even though everyone is busy broadcasting how they are having a wonderful time, they have no avenue to discuss their stress and depression.  Even though people are texting each other continuously they hesitate to share their mental health issues. Even though we have these amazing communication platforms at our disposal, we rarely use them to establish a genuine connection, a connection that can stand by us in our time of need, listen to our worries, and comfort us. People have found tremendous ways to share their talents and become influencers, but we still lack ways to understand each other's feelings and share them honestly without being judged. This is why I have decided to focus on connections rather than just communication. I still write my blog and post on social media, but I make a point to connect with people that matter to me. I try to call or message them regularly and am available to talk to them when they need someone to share something. I listen attentively when people have something to say about my blog or about my other opinions and views. This has helped me a lot, and I hope these interactions also helped others who connected and communicated with me. I believe if you want help, start helping someone when they need help and someone will help you when you are in need. This is how we can build an ecosystem where compassion and empathy are organic and not just for display on social media. It is easy to show anger, pity, or sympathy, but it is not easy to show compassion and empathy. Communication will happen automatically when a connection happens, but it is not true the other way around. Let's be brave and try to connect with each other rather than just communicate.     

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Social media and our cult fetish

Social media has revolutionized the way we interact with each other. On one side, it has made the world more accessible, we can now reach almost anyone, living anywhere, anytime from the comforts of our homes. But on the other side, it has affected the way we think and behave, dependency on social media has reached the level of addiction in many cases. On the one hand, it improved our connectivity with the outside world, the world that was beyond our reach without letters and telephones, but on the other hand, it negatively affected our interactions with our immediate surroundings, we often get distracted and are not present during our one-to-one interactions. 

Validation offered by social media is one aspect that made it so powerful and popular. Many of us crave social media likes, followers, comments, and other validations that we feel define our lives. It seems social media satisfies our cult fetish. The race to increase the number of followers on various social media platforms is a testimony to this cult fetish. In general, social media does not cultivate authenticity. Once we consciously start posting things for people's approval, we perform for our audience, just like actors perform in the movies. We feel the need to entertain others so that they can like us, validate our performance, and say something nice about us. Statements, photos, controversies, and debates start looking choreographed and purposeful to grab maximum attention. Of course, there are exceptions, but the general trend is to put on a show under the name of sharing personal stories. The content has become so polished and well crafted that there are social media celebrities and influencers who seem to influence others about how to think and live life. In one way, this has democratized the celebrity sphere that was only reserved for politicians and movie personalities, but it has also brought all the toxicity and negativity that is associated with cultish behavior in the everyday lives of people. 

The term "followers" has a cultish connotation. Everyone is looking for followers, they are not looking for readers, like-minded people, colleagues, collaborators, or group members, but followers. Followers who can like, praise, and validate their existence on social media. Even social media platforms like Facebook which started as a friendship-oriented platform have the option of following someone without being friends. I don't know whether it was an intentional result or an unintentional byproduct, but social media has started countless mini-cults. Cults where people live in their own echo chambers, they are siloed from the rest of the world, where they only hear what they like, create their own facts and truths, and validate them for each other. There is no need to have any emotional relationship to be a follower having a common enemy is enough to be in that cult. These cults hate each other, each thinks that the other is an enemy of humanity and only their own cult can save this planet from moral destruction. Such cults mainly exist based on religion, political ideologies, political leaders, and racial, social, and personal beliefs. One can see the increasing polarization in all societies due to this cultish culture that is becoming dominant. People are eager to criticize, but not ready to face criticism, eager to point out flaws, but not willing to accept their own flaws, and eager to destroy the existing systems, but do not know what they want to substitute them with. If you are on social media, but free from this cult fetish, then you are lucky and among the very few who can make good use of social media without getting affected by its negative side effects, be vigilant, protect your independence, and save yourself from this cult fetish.     

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Social media is a great tool to connect with the younger generation

Social connections and a sense of belonging to a community are inherent needs of humans. We have been doing this since we began existing as a group on this planet, the methods, models, styles, or mediums we use change and evolve but the need to communicate remains the same. Every generation has devised its own way of communication, especially, the last few decades have brought a tremendous transformation in the way we communicate with each other. The invention of social media is one of the biggest disruptive changes that humans witnessed ever, it has radically transformed the way we communicate. The major mode of communication now happens through the internet, as always, there are pros and cons of this change like every other change we witnessed. Many people are busy dissecting this disruptive phenomenon and the new role that smartphones play in the lives of the current generation. 

My kids are no different than other kids of their generation as far as social media is concerned, they love their phones and are busy with social media. When I realized that this is the mode of communication they prefer, I also decided to get acquainted with this medium so that I can communicate with them via the medium they prefer. I am glad that I did this, some of our memorable and interesting conversations happen through social media. Of course, we also meet in person and there are our usual discussions and arguments over lunches and dinners, but apart from this we also have social media where we can communicate with each other from anywhere and anytime. I agree that there is so much to learn to get on each and every social media platform, but the good news is that we don't have to be on each and every platform, there is nothing wrong if you are on each social media platform, but you don't have to be. Select a few platforms that you think represent the social or family circles you want to connect with and learn how to use them, communicate with people who love to interact and see how it improves your interactions with them. 

Like any other tool, it depends a lot on how effectively you use social media. As I already mentioned, this is one of the most disruptive things humans have witnessed so far, so, if not used properly it can create some issues. In the same way, when the radio was invented, TV was invented, or cable TV was introduced we had similar concerns about their harmful effects on our personal and social lives. No matter how much people criticize or demonize these things, they are not going anywhere, social media is very much a part of our lives and you can get a lot by using it wisely. Also, I am aware that you can live a wonderful life without being on social media, but you can do the same by not using a phone, not watching TV, listening to music, or visiting any new place. However, if we can enrich our lives more by learning a few new things and expanding our world, there is no harm in giving it a shot. This is very important if you want to be in sync with your next generation. Smartphones and social media are integral parts of today's kids and youngsters, part of their world resides on these things, and that's why they are hooked to smartphones so much. If you want to communicate with them, you need to be there in that world so that they come across you once in a while. If not, then you don't exist in that world and have to wait for them to come out of their virtual world just to interact with you, and at this stage, there is not much incentive for doing this. Learn a few things about social media and start your journey there, make connections with people you love, and enjoy another method to stay in touch. Good luck with this adventure.  

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion about this topic. 

Information silos on social media

What is the information silo? In simple terms, one can call it a phenomenon when the information flow is severely compromised. When there is no exchange of information between different groups, people in a particular group only share and read the information that suits their ideas and biases. The obvious next question will be, is it a bad thing? Well, it depends. If you are part of a study group that wants to focus on just one subject without any distractions, then it can be very useful and necessary to read things only related to that one subject and nothing else. However, if you want to learn about some social, political, or even personal issues, then it is better to read diverse opinions, including the ones that are contrary to your own opinions.

It is now well-established that social media has changed the way people communicate with each other in today's world. Like any other change, it has brought some positive and some negative effects. Social media not only expanded our geographical reach but also allowed us to filter the content. We can now choose to receive only one-sided information. It has allowed us to get connected with people with whom we lost touch due to geographical distance but also allowed us to get distanced from people around us as we get so absorbed into the virtual world that we forget about the real world around us. Also, artificial intelligence has its own bias, based on what we read or which websites we visit, similar content is directed towards us.  The ultimate result, we are fed with the same type of information that caters to our biases and preferences. This has resulted in more polarization among people, the more your own ideas and biases get validated, the more you become averse to other ideas;. The more we see that there are many who approve and agree with our thoughts, we develop more contempt towards people who do not agree and approve of our ideas. It is easy to notice the widening divide between different political ideologies, and reduced tolerance towards dissent. Actually, one can use social media to counter all these things. We can educate about why people support or oppose a particular issue or idea. We can verify the facts easily and debunk the fake news. It must be mentioned that these things are also happening but on a very small scale. Again, it will be wrong to paint the picture that everyone on social media is a victim of an information silo, but this phenomenon is noticeable, there are social and political repercussions of this.

There are some easy steps we can take to avoid the trap of information silo. First, read about other opinions, especially the ones which don't subscribe to your own opinion. Second, read to understand what opponents have to say not just to rebut it. Third, understand the difference between opposition and contempt; assertion and aggression; criticism and insult. And last, be courageous enough to accept that you can be wrong and change if necessary. Please remember that politics is not a game of hate, but a conflict of ideologies and policies, it should remain like that. Hopefully, readers will be alert about information silos on social media and take deliberate steps to avoid it.

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion about this topic. 

Are we getting too political on social media?

There is no doubt that social media has changed the way we communicate in today's world. I don't think anytime in the history of humans, there was a time when so much of our communication was in a written form rather than in a spoken form. The easy availability of the internet and smartphones has made social media accessible to many, and this has revolutionized the way we share our views with each other. A vast number of people are connected with each other via the internet than any other medium before. This number is huge compared to what telephone or radio managed to connect when they were at their peak. Various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram have made instant broadcasting of information very easy. Today, we can broadcast any event of our life if we want to do so, and there is an audience for it from all over the world. I also notice that people are more eager than ever to share with the world what's going on in their lives, and the concept of privacy is not the same as it was just a decade ago. Many gigabytes of data about our textual, audio, or video are generated every moment and stored in various places in the cloud. We don't even know where are our footprints on the internet, it is impossible to track them. This is all a recent phenomenon, we still don't know the pros and cons of this. Eventually, we should be able to figure this out in the coming years, but for the time being, we all are witnessing this explosion of data generation and sharing.

Another thing that I noticed is how much people discuss politics on social media. I see that many friends from my Facebook friend post only something related to politics on their personal walls. No doubt, politics is an important part of our lives as it affects all of us. It is also important to share our political opinions and voice our views on various political and social matters. But, if all we share is our political opinion and nothing else, then that conversation becomes extremely monotonous and boring, and nothing remains surprising in our posts as most people know what are our political views and what are we going to post based on our political leanings. Such postings might help in initiating some fierce political discussions or arguments, but definitely, they don't help to expand our social circle or to have some meaningful conversations on social media. Such repeated political postings make our social media account look like an unofficial mouthpiece of some political party or leader. It seems that for many people there is nothing worthwhile to discuss apart from politics on social media. This trend really bothers me a lot, this is one of the reasons why I reduced my presence on Facebook. 

I do recognize the relevance and use of social media in keeping in touch with friends and relatives with whom it is impossible to interact in person. This is why I joined all these platforms and I am still active on most of them. Social media is of great help to bridge the distance gap and makes it possible to interact with people who are miles apart from us. I wish people use it to discuss various other things apart from politics. I want to have meaningful conversations about other issues as well, I want people to be less political and more social on social media. Let politicians discuss only politics, it is their profession and they have a job to do. We are not professional politicians and our social media posts should show this diversity. We need to be conscious about not becoming the unofficial spokesperson of any political party. This might also help to reduce the spread of fake news and rumors through social media. The increasing political nature of social media makes it possible for some people to use it to spread fake news and disturb social harmony. Only vigilant and alert social media users can stop such misuse, let's be more social and less political.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

The effect of social media on us

Today the presence of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) is felt by everyone in our lives. No sector or section of society has managed to remain unaffected by them. The revolution in communication technology in the last few years and the spread of mobile phones to the remotest corners of the world have made these things accessible to a vast number of people. Social media has changed the way people communicate with each other, it has modified the ways we interact with each other, and for the first time in history, we have written or recorded data for conversations of common people. All those tweets, FB posts, blog posts, comments, or chats are written records of our conversations with each other which never happened before in the history of our civilization. For the first time in our history, we are talking to each other so much by writing rather than speaking. In the past also people used to write long letters but the percentage of literacy was not that high in many places around the world and this mode of communication was limited for special reasons and occasions, but now we mostly chat with each other by recording our conversations in some form (SMS, FB, Twitter, Orkut or whatever). This is really unique, today we have the power to communicate anytime with anyone, anywhere in the world who has access to an internet-connected device. Anything we communicate today is recorded somewhere, stored somewhere, there is proof of what we express whether we know it or not doesn't matter, it's stored somewhere. We are generating a tremendous amount of data every day, that information is enormous and the speed with which we share our thoughts with each other is also phenomenal. One tweet, a blog post, or an FB post can reach millions all over the world in just a few seconds. This was not possible in the pre-social media era even in the presence of TV or radio. TV and radio also revolutionized our lives but that was mainly in the area of entertainment and news, but social media took the level of our communication with each other to a completely different level. We now live in a virtually well-connected world.

Politicians, celebrities, and even common people like you and me are using social media to communicate our thoughts to our friends and to people who don't know personally. We can share our thoughts more easily now, and many serious discussions can be done without meeting each other personally. Some political parties or organizations who ridiculed these things in the beginning as some temporary internet craze and didn't take these things seriously are also trying really hard to make their presence felt in this virtual world. Establishments and big corporates are using this medium as an efficient tool to attract new customers. Social media websites (like Facebook) are highly valued (worth a few billion USD) this is just because number of users associated with them. Nowadays many debates discussions and business transactions take place online, where actual debaters or buyers and sellers don't interact with each other directly or don't even know each other, but things work out smoothly. This is an amazing transformation of our society. Just a few decades back these things were considered impossible or can be seen only in fiction movies or books, but now it's reality and we all are living it, we all are part of it.

Social media and the internet have given us a parallel virtual world, which is very different from our real world. This virtual world is a place where two strangers can interact with each other at various levels of intimacy. Where relationships can be formed or broken, bonds can be developed, and almost every emotion can be shared privately or publicly, such is the power of this medium. Technically, one can spend their entire life interacting with people they will never know or will never see in their entire life personally. This was only possible in dreams or for very few people (like popular writers or actors who respond to fan mails) but now anyone can do this. This is a tremendous change that is already having a huge impact (positive as well as negative) on our personal and social lives. There are some similarities between the virtual and real world, like in a real-world in the virtual world also there are predators as well as saviors, people can transform each other lives positively or negatively, and they can torture and abuse. The only difference is that in the virtual world, they can do this anonymously without coming into physical contact with the victim, and this is the most dangerous aspect of this medium.

This technology has given us the ability to expand our horizons. We can be in touch with people who are physically far away from us, we can chat with them, and see them in real time. At the same time, some people indulge in this too much, they are so absorbed in this virtual world that they don't even realize that they are neglecting their real world, sometimes families suffer, and relationships break because of this. This medium is so powerful that's why its effects are also very powerful. It can even assist in creating mass movements against ruthless or corrupt establishments, and it can spread rumors faster than ever before. These are a few of the reasons why many governments are worried and concerned about the power of this medium and some of them are even thinking of censoring or controlling these things (like Facebook and Twitter). I guess they think if they can control this medium effectively they can have better control over their citizens, such is the impact of this medium.

This medium has also given us a unique platform and opportunity to create or invent new things. It was never easy to become a writer, storyteller, or inventor before as it is now. Now we have this very powerful tool in our hands and we are free to use it in whatever way we want. The choice is entirely ours, we can use it either to connect with friends and relatives, spread awareness, spread love, freedom, a message of equality, fight discrimination, or spread hate, fanaticism, inequality, and polarize society. The choice is all ours, the medium will work in a way we make it to work, so let's use it to bring positive change.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]