By: Farooq Panhwar
Every age demands certain ways of living standards. Similarly, the twenty-first century is the age of technology. Modern technologies have brought sophisticated inventions that have ensured feasibility in the pragmatic wheel of our lives. However, of all the outcomes of the present age, social media stands at a great apex. It has become an integral part of all and sundry. From an infant to an old age adult, all are trapped in the glamour and glitter of social media. The use of social media has transformed our lives into a new shape. We adopt what we behold on screen. Undoubtedly, the use of social media solely depends on the mentality of people who use it. It has pros and cons in use. Positive-minded people use it for productive tasks while notorious people malign it for their pseudo goals. As Shakespeare rightly said, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so”.
Though social media is a great source of knowledge, awareness, and entertainment it has proved a fatal poison. It has brought woes and miseries to many innocent people. Generally, people of every vocation use this leisure-breaking platform to avoid boredom. They upload their photos and show their social position to society. Pitiably, social media lacks privacy. It is not secured. It has become common to witness accounts being hacked by some mischief-mongers. There are countless examples of the hacking of accounts. Likewise, a person of high esteem dies in shame when he sees his social account being used for notorious activities.
Moreover, the security concerns on social media has engulfed the peace of our life. It has ruined the lives of many men in general and women in particular. Women, being so kind by nature become easy prey to such hackers who use their pictures to blackmail them. As a result, women suffer awfully. They bear untold miseries within themselves. Pakistan is a patriarchal state that poses a great threat over trivial matters related to women’s privacy. For instance, if a woman’s picture goes viral on social sites, she is considered characterless. No one brings good marriage proposals for such women but shame. Thus, women are overwhelmed by the heavy blanket of despair due to social media.
Furthermore, it is shameful to see the private videos of girls being leaked on electronic media. This heinous act by the misuse of social media has destroyed the lives of many girls and their families. Hence, social media is a destructive tool in the hands of evil genius.
In addition, social media is a curse for young children. Young-aged children scroll down social sites aimlessly. They kill their precious time in no time. Social media has upended their social skills. It is rightly said, “Cut your coat according to your clothes”. But sadly, this maxim falls on deaf ears. Teenaged boys of the middle class compel their parents to corruption when they see elite status on either Facebook or Instagram. When parents failed to do so, they quit their lives. Therefore, social media has taken many innocent lives.
Last but not least, long ago, when there was no social media, the world was pure. Prosperity dominated over adversity. Life was in the lap of peace. But the dawn of social media wreaked havoc in our daily lives. There is no denying the fact that children see children learn. The drug culture has become common among youth these days. It is social media that has introduced drugs as fashion such as Sheesha(Hookah), pods, cigarettes, and bears.
To ensure stability amidst social media, cyber security has to play a significant role. It should not allow the hackers to reach the privacy of users and ensure safety for them.
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]