Social Media is transforming the Mass Media. Instant Communication and Social Media has acquired problem into the world. Imagine a family sitting in a restaurant, everybody is busy using their phones, they do not say a word until the food comes. People are now dependent on technology, it has become a norm. It was assumed that, new media was going to push away the old media, but what if the new media was not good enough or the old media is not as old as we think. Young students are greatly obsessed with technology. It has changed their way of thinking and they do not use their imagination anymore. If they have any queries before even thinking about the solution they get the answer. A person needs to think outside the box, use their own imagination to be more creative. Everyone is capable enough and should have courage to rely on their thinking. Yes, one can definitely research on things he wants to know about but before experiencing it the check list should be ready. An online culture has been set up, people can easily show off and that is what they do. Whenever a message pops up the level of excitement increases that something exciting or special is going to be in it. People now believe that by communicating online is better though it is but it can have some serious depressing issues.
Social Media are of different kinds and are used in different ways. Some are used to communicate, for sharing photographs and some are for just surfing around but all these things surely have one thing in common, they connect people, easy way to communicate, feel a part of the world and the lust after it.
The two terms ‘Networking’ and ‘Globalization’ has bought new characteristics in the world. The term Globalization is not new to most of the people. It is a process which turns the people to meet in the world but at a distance. Many people have experienced Globalization in shallowness and have the effects of it on the young students. When a person is free to access load of information, can connect to anyone at any time, make new friends without even knowing them, this can result into not thinking seriously. There are two options either one can think critically or easily search answers directly. People generally use the second option because they do not want to do any work which consumes their time. Change in technology is bringing out new challenges ethically and socially. No one really wants to face the reality because if they do they’ll see that social media is partially damaging their lives. Everything has positive and negative Impacts. Like a gun can be used to protect people and on the other hand it can hurt people, a book can entertain a reader or can change a life. The internet itself has allow people to instant communication, networking, share photograph and search about anything and will get information in a blink of an eye. It’s not that social media is blocking to serious thinking, it is about how one is using it. They are just tools if they can prevent us from serious thinking they can easily stop us from the things which we were able to do previously. ( Hincgcliffe and Gavin)
Now if we think why cannot people reflect spontaneously? Because if will acquire time and effort. Everything depends on how we use it. Technology has made things easier but it does not mean that we totally depend on it. People lack in understanding and acknowledging the things. They have fear in them because they think the decision which they make might be wrong, they do not have self confidence.
There is a theory called Media Naturalness. This study understands the human behavior towards technology. A very interesting argument has been raised in this theory, In the stone age people used to communicate face to face, they could easily understand what the tone of the other person is but now social media has diminish everything though it can be beneficial but can raise obstacles as well. The natural hearing and talking is better rather than sitting behind the computers and talking expressionless.
We cannot say that it has stopped us to think serious, in a way it will deny the benefits of it. People can easily communicate or see each other even at a distance. Technology has made the world faster than before. One can easily know what is happening around in the world while sitting in his own country home. People can easily share their flow of ideas which were stopped due to geological barriers.
Social Media and Instant Communication does not pose obstacles to serious thinking and reflection. On the other hand it can promote things and can bring out new ideas and strengthen the old one. Revolution can come into a society through social media. It all depends on how one decides to use them, how they choose to use the. We can take a recent example of Arab Spring, the revolution started through the social media. People should now set their barriers, technology has made their life easy but before going to the wrong path it is better to decide their limitations. Social Media is a great innovation lets use it the right way!
Bibliography
Hincgcliffe, Vanessa and Helen Gavin. "Social and Virtual Networks: Evaluating Synchronous Online Interviewing Using Instant Messenger." 2008. 15 April 2015 <https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.questia.com%2Flibrary%2Fjournal%2F1G1-201551638%2Fsocial-and-virtual-networks-evaluating-synchronous&ei=H7YuVcCpJsP-ywP75IC4AQ&usg=AFQjCN>.
