As a coin has two different sides,( Except in the movie SHOLAY)there are always two different sides for the social media’s as well.  One ‘Good” side and the “Bad” side.  How you ‘flip’ them matters a lot. ‘Flip’ in the sense how you use them is the crux of the matter.  With the new range of gadgets (they are no longer mobile phones!) millions of people, especially in India, can have access to the social Medias like twitter, Facebook etc.   And the sad part is that the “bad” part of the same is highlighted though the good part is equally catching up in the race. 

An octogenarian can view the wedding ceremony of his/her  grandchild that takes place thousands of miles away, within a jiffy, and in some cases  with the right equipment LIVE,  thanks to the social media.  All that you require is a new generation phone in working order that is all—phew I forgot to mention sufficient data in the sim card account or a strong WI-Fi presence.  Just record the photo or a video and you can upload the same in the website.  At the other end, the person desirous to see the same should have a same type of a gadget and of course, a social Media account.

The world has become small with these Medias.  One can find a colleague worked in the same company years before or a college mate with the help of these Social Medias.  One can also create a group within the social media, give it some fancy names (they always are, what else you will say about a name like “Shadow Boxers or Herbies -- which I strongly feel, the name Herbies suggest that they were college mates in the year ’53). Family function, festival, social issues, interesting thoughts and for that matter you can even upload the latest arrival of the kittens in your home to all in these groups within minutes, if not in seconds.  From there it can reach their contacts as well by the end of the day. It always happen that way--not updating your social media account before you go to bed or night shift work is a crime, next only to stealing, though not punishable..YET. 

Recent trend is that one good hearted soul  will feel pity about a suffering soul from a disease and within minutes the photo and the accompanying message will be posted in his/her friends circle and through them to many.  Some good outcome will definitely happen for the suffering soul, with helping hands reaching out either through a suggestion or a financial aid. 

I should also throw in a word or two about the ‘other’ side of the coin.   Because of the availability of the gadgets at a low cost and parents are not judgmental about how their children use them, leading to a mischievous one uploading a ‘compromised’ photo of a friend  (or foe?) either for fun or in most cases to settle an old ‘score’.   In extreme cases it will be for the thrill such an activity evoke in the person doing the same.  The result is the severe trauma that the affected person undergoes, which cannot be erased by the best Pelican, or for that matter, even by the time. 

Again social Medias should come into rescue, along with authorities to curb issues like this in the budding stage itself.   Whenever such a message or visuals are received, advice, warn your friend or a contact to refrain from such activities.  In certain cases it is wise to expose the same person to the authorities if your action evokes no positive result.

In closing technology is the result of hard work and dedication by a selected few.  How we make good, I repeat, good use of the same is in our own hands.  Let us not curse technology, but few of those who use them in the WRONG way.