Social media is a powerful tool of communication and information. Social media includes Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and X - formerly Twitter. These potent platforms enable people from different areas, states, and countries to connect. It allows people to share thoughts and express themselves. Social media has been effective in bringing tremendous transformation throughout the world. Its role in socioeconomic, religious, and political aspects of the world is uncontestable.
Nonetheless, just like every other thing social media has a negative facet and possesses drawbacks ranging from security issues to the spread of misinformation. Besides these, there are some other problems related to it. One of which is associated with the personality of a person. Social media impinges on our individuality. On social media, particularly Facebook, WhatsApp, and X, we often compromise our selfhood. We lose our identity to the virtual community. And this takes us away from ‘ourselves’.
Our ideas, values, and morals are determined by the approach of virtual friends and the environment they create. Generally, we think that on social media we are representing ourselves but we end up as somebody else. We unwittingly become what others want us to be.
By and large, we pose as philosophers, opinion makers, and thinkers; but in reality, lack the fundamental comprehension of even the simplest issues. The moment our standpoint works and gets a response or few likes and thumbs-ups ups we consider it a scholarship. We become self-made intellectuals, in fact, phony intellectuals. What adds to the problem is that later we never take a run at philosophical and intellectual temper. We enjoy living in a fool’s paradise.
On social media, we are sometimes too religious. We issue decrees. Declare others wrong and deviant. Even if, there are scholars on the other end, it doesn’t matter to us. We adamantly try to push our view forth and enthusiastically silence others. We act like experts; while having the least understanding of religious principles and teachings. We suppose what we believe is impeccable and must be acceptable to all.
Most of the time, we are philanthropic ‘beyond a limit’ without having any real contribution towards the welfare of the people. Other times, we feign innocence and behave like ‘perfect humans’ on the planet Earth and pretend to be men having ‘humanity’ to the hilt - the quality we genuinely are devoid of and have no craving for.
It is also true that social media occasionally obfuscates our better face. People connected to us virtually influence our ideals of life. Social media coerces us to be abrasive, in some cases, apathetic - the attitudes, which we otherwise despise. At times, we are compelled to react in a way that goes against our ethos. We leave behind qualities that we owe and become one of the ‘others’. Then we are judged based on our comments/posts and social media feeds. And many take our virtual outlook final and for granted. This, on certain occasions, brings us notoriety to a certain extent.
As a matter of fact, our real colors are displayed once we encounter things in real; when we are among family members, friends, those who need us, the general public, and even foes. The disposition that we show in real life matters and this composes what we call ‘Akhlaq’ (ethics).
Thus! Virtual and Real aren’t the same!
(Author is a columnist and co-author of book #55_Stories. He tweets @Zeeshan_rk and can be mailed at [email protected])
