What is social media? Few apps that help us pass time or our small escape from reality. Well the answer lies somewhere in between those two things. Social media, an integral part of our lives, or in fact made that non-essential part made integral by us is a huge world where majority of us have been trapped.
The arrival of the internet was a big thing for mankind, as it did not just set the tone for future but also changed the complete global dynamics. Right from marketing to entertainment, internet is the biggest medium today. Years after world wide web, or www made a mark for itself, the world saw rise of social media in the form of Orkut developed by search engine giant Google. Orkut became an instant hit, but its success was short-lived courtesy of a website which in every sense revolutionized this world. Yes, Facebook literally thrashed Orkut out of everyone’s lives, and back then no one would have thought that this brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg which seemed David would emerge as a Goliath.
Today, social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat, have billions of users, irrespective of age groups. Right from elderly people to kindergarten students know what these apps are and how to use them. People are extensively using all these apps, and the impact is very much evident in their day-to-day lives. They get restless every time they are away from their phones. The apps which were initially created to help people connect with those far from sight, have now been turned into a market place where each and every product can be sold. Where even a simple image is a commodity, and it is the truth in most unadulterated form.
One just cannot term social media as a blessing or a curse, as it is extremely difficult to weigh pros and cons of it rationally. It is a blessing for those who know how to use it wisely, while curse for everyone who finds the virtual reality worth getting lost in.