Craze of Social Networking Sites among Youth.

Craze of Social Networking Sites among Youth.

Social-networking sites have taken the world by a storm leading to nothing less than a revolution. A lot of concerns have also been voiced about social networking sites taking over in our lives.

The years of youth shape our outlook, our personality and mould us into what we are. So when we grow up in a world where our popularity is directly proportional to the number of “likes” we get on our photoshop-enhanced profile picture, it is bound to have a profound impact on our psyche. The focus and time we spend on creating our brand on these social networking sites is a standing testimony to the awakening of the narcissist in us.

Craze for social networking is increasing day by day though people don’t understand this world of social networking is actually a transparent world and there is lack of privacy. SHARING IS CARING, but sharing on networking sites is not caring, rather it is giving the culprits an opportunity to peek into your private life.

Status updates, wall post and tweets yell about every move we make, every step we take. We are ourselves violating the sanctity of our personal space.

The social networking sites and social media has revolutionized the world, bringing us closer than ever before, making life easier than it ever was. We can exploit this and use it for a better life, a better tomorrow. It should be used to connect, stay in touch easily, share views and not waste time.

Hence the BBC Principle – Balance, Boundaries and Communication - must be followed while using the social medial. It is essential for youth to have Balance, which refers to the importance of creating equilibrium between the youths online and offline worlds. Boundaries refers to the importance of having clear guidelines about what is and isn’t an appropriate online interaction. Communication refers to the importance of creating a safe and effective environment for discussion between adults and young people about how the young person is using and experiencing the Internet.

There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age- all turning points in the history of human civilization. How should the virtual age etch itself in history depends on us - the choice is ours now!