Social Networking – My Understandings & Perspectives

Basic instinct is the same in all creatures, more pronounced in mammals and to highest degree in humans. Insecurity toward each other has tied us together in a network known as socialism. Social Networking is the group of individuals like communities, schools, universities, workplace and so on. When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used and these websites are known as social networking sites, popularly Facebook, Twitter, Google+for now. Members can share their hobbies, experiences, information, political views, common interests. As a whole we can say it is a medium to communicate.

With the development of internet, various forms of online entertainments are emerging day by day, social networking site is one of them. Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace. Google plus, to name a few, provide us the platform to share our ideas, emotions, frustrations, anything we like. In my case, I got a chance to get in touch with my school and college friends which I think almost impossible without social networking sites, for that thanks to Facebook. I got a chance of making new friends from diverse fields of common interests. It provides a great platform for learning and understanding whatever you want by sitting at home. I think we need to accept that social media is changing way we learn. If you have any confusion or if u like to know something you can share that and you got different ideas and solutions there from different persons. Isn’t it interesting?

I think social network sites are the modern forms of shade tree (chautari). People in past, used to gather at Chautari and share their feelings, emotions, experiences likewise. In these days after getting tired of day to day life people share their feelings, emotions and experiences through social media. Social Media also provides the platform for the organization to advertise their products. Recently people have begun looking scornfully at these social networks. Its true social network have hampered business world greatly but also have given us the chance to talk to our past (?).

Social sites have made the youth unproductive but also at the same time have made some to rise for the causes like Tweet for cause Nepal (@tfcnepal). Youths have formed a network via Twitter with the objectives to support the special deprived group specially according to ages, caste and economy and ultimately to bring smile on the faces and have helped many of the underprivileged urchins of the Kathmandu valley till now. This is one example out of many where social network have shown its good nature. There are examples in social network where notes and various classroom materials are also available.

Recently we witnessed a group which provided pressure to punish the teacher who murdered Akriti Shrestha. Nepal Unites परिवर्तनका लागि हामी नेपाली एक (Facebook Group), an informal group of concerned Nepali citizens that came together to raise our voice against the apathy and indifference shown by political establishment. i Blood (@ibloodnepal), Kathmandu’s network for blood donations who is helping in providing the blood as the blood bank of Kathmandu is alarmingly dry and nepotism is out of its wit at the blood bank.

I am in touch with my school and colleges friends even though they are physically far from me through facebook. I have not met them since years but we are regularly in touch through facebook. We can say that now facebook has  become  part of  our life as friends are. I am using my facebook accout to advertise my website too so we can say that facebook is the great platform for the blogger and website holder to advertise their blog and site respectively. Facebook has met with some controversy. It has been blocked in several countries including Pakistan, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia to name a few. It has been banned at many work place in order to encourage the workers to concentrate in their works.

Recently, Google launched it’s social networking site named Google Plus which is somehow similar to facebook. I feel that G+ is not so user friendly and interesting as compared to facebook, Myspace and twitter. There is one social site regarding twitter named tweepal which streams live tweets from & about Nepal and try to focus on tweets that reflect to current news, politics and specific talks inside the country. Nepal Telecom is preparing for its own networking site named “Chautari” which is going to be lunched in the near future.

If an oil falls on paper It will not take long to spread through, similarly If social networking site is developed it would not take long to spread amongst the youths. Hence, Kathmandu is also not free from the crunches of the social network. Youths of Kathmandu if some have indulged to some cause then other have wasted time chatting over the page and spending time watching photographs and commenting each other. Some might have even started dating pals on social network. Thus, youths have utilized networking site according to their will it’s upon them who uses the social network.

It will be an abstract idea if we judge social network with negative criticism fully. Social network gave some serious bad effects but also some good reasons on the other hand. If it had helped youth to involve in solitary solo life then it also have taught youth that socialism and society is an indispensable part of life and worth living.

//Words expressed on this article are purely my own judgement, thank you, @saroose