Social Media – A reality check
From a tiny matchbox telephone that we used to play in our childhood to faking our own age to get a social media account on our own smartphone – we actually progressed fast.
It is the era of getting knowledge just with a click and even with a voice note.
It is the era of high speed internet.
Actually more in the pipeline with AI or artificial intelligence.
Media as per 2005 edition of the Oxford dictionary is the main ways that large numbers of people receive information and entertainment that is television, radio, newspapers and the internet.
And yes, there was nothing like ‘social media’ in this edition of the dictionary.
Surprised, aren’t you?
The latest in the definition of ‘social media’ is websites and software programs used for social networking.
And since 2010 every year on 30th June, we celebrate World Social Media Day.
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Tring Tring to Shhhhhhh
From Graham Bell’s iconic telephone invention in 1876 to modern time’s ChatGPT, and further down the lanes of history of use of pigeons to carry the messages, human beings crossed an impossible subway to achieve this feat.
Watch some iconic movies of the 1990s, and somewhere get the taste of an irritating Tring-Tring, there was a time when this Tring-Tring was an essential part of our lives.
One of my maternal uncle’s once told me about how peaceful those days were when there was nothing like Facebook or Instagram or Whatsapp and Twitter.
I was like,”Hmmmmm”.
Of course social media has changed the scenario.
Our partners or our parents are now less worrying because we are always in touch with each other via social media.
Our teachers, mentors, instructors are always in contact with us through social media.
Social media is more (and even more than to be written here in a few words) a blessing for everyone.
Platforms connecting the weft and warp of the society.
In a single post, many renowned personalities get connected with their fans.
In a single tweet, help will be available to the needy.
In a single video, a novice can learn how to make some delicious pasta.
In a single conversation, your super concerned mother will heave a sigh of relief.
In a single appeal on any social media platform, Samaritans come forward to help the person without actually knowing him/her.
In a single news appeal, the government can avert the worst situations in case of adverse weather conditions like volcanic eruptions or hurricanes or cyclones.
In a single emotional appeal through social media, many needy patients get donations for their treatments.
I am trying to summarize the beauty of social media and you know, what, I am actually getting swayed away from the flow of emotions for I know the struggles of my parents during the days of trunk calls and the old telegrams, the inland letters and the postcards, the anxious wait of letters from the sick relatives.
Tweet-Tweet, Reels and Short Videos, Memes and More
Our parents and even our grandparents complain about the omnipresent social media platform.
I think and many times i argue with them that once they know the art behind the social media, once they know to operate the social media, they will be more hooked to them than us as we have more to do with the social media platforms, we have unlimited growing opportunities for business, marketing, learning and what not but the older generation can equally enjoy the “ their era of lovely saga’, ‘their period of human being human and not machine’.
Bane or Boon
Offenders can misuse the technology even using a keypad cellphone.
Beneficiaries can use the same technology to reach at zenith.
The above two are true for any kind of our supporting systems as we usually fail to assess the situations and coordinate with our mental state at the moment.
History of social media : moving away from pigeons as messengers
*The first internet relay chat was set up in 1988.
*Instant messenger service was launched in America in 1997.
*The first social networking site was launched in 1997.
*Social blogging was started in 1998.
*LinkedIn was launched in 2003.
*Myspace was launched in the same year.
*Flickr and Facebook were launched in 2004.
*Reddit – 2005, Twitter – 2006,Tumblr – 2007.
*Pinterest, Instagram and Quora – 2010.
*Snapchat – 2011.
*Telegram – 2013.
*Tiktok – 2017.
Computer based messaging started as early as in the 1960s whereas the email service was launched in the 1980s.
Google started as Orkut in 2004.
YouTube came into existence in 2005.
Growing opportunities : Unlimited scopes
With the social media presence every other way, there are multiple chances of us getting directly and indirectly involved in it and the latest AI and ChatGPT are adding to these all.
Gone are the days when we used Skype to see our near and dear ones.
Gone are the days when we rely on the print media every morning for the news.
Gone are the days when we had to go to the market in person to buy commodities or any other things.
Now ,here are Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket and many other e-commerce companies.
Many new age companies are providing online services.
Pandemic and rise in social media users
Covid-19 and the unprecedented situations because of it resulted in the massive rise of users in different regions of the world.
Only and only social media was of help in those days full of panic news and outbreaks.
Many workplaces and institutions resorted solely to social media for their works.
First ever World Social Media Day
June 30, 2010, Mashable launched Social Media Day citing its growing popularity and usability along with promoting it to new prospective users.
Here are magnetic charms with the social media for their multidimensional uses and no one can claim untouched with them.
There are some serious concerns about the social media platform’s misuse in spreading fake news or in making dangerous gaming apps or in the online harassment of some innocent users.
Past, Present and Future
With more and more new technology coming into existence, social media is playing a pivotal role everywhere from students’ lives to doctors’, from meek housewives to small businesses, from banking sector to public sectors, from trains to spacecrafts and after omitting a few issues, the social media is making itself omnipresent in our lives.
our pasts sans social media was beautiful, our present with social media is also beautiful and we hope that upcoming advancements in the social media will be more beautiful.