The internet has empowered everyone who have the access to it in unique ways. It has revolutionised the way people think, act and most importantly react. It has given a voice however feeble or strong to everyone. Earlier people used to learn in schools and colleges, families and from the people who also had learnt stuff in institutions. But now learning has become easily available to everyone. The wisdom though has not grown in the matching proportions. The mismatch between wisdom and knowledge has created pseudo intellectuals, who blindly believe and act as per the knowledge that is fed to them on social media and elsewhere. The relationships, friendships and the humans involved have taken the biggest hit.
The line between the real and the virtual has blurred. The social media have given a chance to everyone the freedom, to project themselves and also watch others doing the same. And this freedom has changed the dynamics of societies in different ways.
The mismatch between the projection on the social and the real life has forced people into isolation for different reasons:
1. The feeling of inadequacy in the individual when compared to how other people are living their lives.
2. The exaggerated perceptions about oneself due to how others response to their projected image online. Most of the responses are exaggerated.
3. The self perceived convenience of reaching an audience without stepping out of the comfort zone lead to a feeling of false security of not being immediately answerable to anyone.
All of the above form a film of invincibility that acts like an armour in the relentless pursuit of self promotion in a world that is precariously placed on the fence between the real and the virtual. This effort knows no boundaries for many who are completely dependent on the social media for creation and promotion of their identities. This has definite implications for their mental and emotional health.
Deepsh27 