FAKE NEWS- 5 Steps To Deal with It And Learn Ethical Use Of Internet

Today we are living in the age of opinions. Everyone of us ( well not everyone) has the privilege to form an opinion and then share it with the world. This has been possible with the power of internet. Now our opinions and views not only matter but also can bring about positive changes. But in some cases it can drive the masses and bring about a negative outcome. This era of connected world has given our opinions and views a power of its own. But have we understood the responsibility that comes with it ?

In today's world of fake information and paid opinion creation, the real value of free speech has become clouded. It is so bad that almost everything we come across on internet today are made with vested interest. And we must admit that they have become damn good at this, as they have successfully lead countries into deadly wars and destroyed civilizations with civil wars. Thus they have quite literally become bloody opinions.

Back in the era of print media, people formed responsible and ethical opinions. The writers thought themselves responsible for their actions and the public. Then out came the digital media followed by social media. They had far more reach than traditional print media and far more unethical creators and editors who neither attach themselves with their posts nor feel responsible for them. And don't get me started on the world of meme's. They have come a long way from simple entertainment to mass murder kind of stuff. Quite a massive leap in my frank opinion!

Yes, the creators, the social media and digital media platforms, the governments all have a role to play to curb this problem. But have you ever thought that we have the ultimate role to play as we are the most important component of this chain- " The Target Audience" ? Our attention, reaction and share give such posts power.

Here are some steps we can take when we come across such a post that's unethical and harmful- 

1- When we come across such a post we must psychologically train our minds not to form an opinion based on that. This is of utmost importance.

2- Many social media platforms allow you to report such posts as inappropriate. Do it!

3- If you come across such a post being forwarded on a messaging platform, make sure to raise your voice and stop that from being shared further.

4- If you come across such a post being shared by an elderly, don't hesitate from raising a concern and making them know the reality of internet today and about the ethics of using it responsibly.

5- Lastly if someone has created an opinion based on some wrong post, try to change it by highlighting the true facts before him.

Internet is a world of information with no control on right and wrong information. There is a very thin line between right and wrong, positive and negative, constructive and destructive opinions. The old saying went as " A pen is mightier than a sword ". Well the new saying can go as " A keyboard is mightier than a gun ". Stay alert and keep internet ethical.

 

 

FRIENDS AND FRIENDSHIP..

Life is a combination of experiences. These experiences are gained from mingling with people around us. These interactions are crucial because humans are social beings. From the day we come into this world we gather bits of personality from all around and these bits remain with us for the entire lifetime. The maximum of these bits are obtained during the youth period. Individuals have the most characteristics gained from their parents and next to parents are friends. Thus the saying a man is known from the company he keeps is truly said which rightly brings out the importance of friends in one's life.

The beginning years pass by under the guidance of parents. The rest of the period when one matures the most is moulded by our peers. They support us and guide us. In many cases friends have proved to be the single major reason behind someone's success. Selfless friendship is a rare phenomenon now a days. The puranas are filled with stories of friendship. The mythological story book " PANCHATANTRA" also depicts unique stories related to friendship with real life lessons depicted through them. This is how the importance of friendship is depicted in Indian mythology.

Friendship is very crucial for humans. They are social animals and friendship is the next pure relationship after love. Society can strain an individual with its demands and non matching principles. These make individuals to rebel. The only one who supports an individual during this turmoil is a friend. Its not always the case that like minded people are friends. When there is variety in the circle only then the circle becomes enriching in one's life.

Today friendship has a whole new meaning. This new meaning has been given by the so called social media. People now claim to be friends with people purely based on the fact that they are together and hitched in any social media platform. Its not wrong to be friends with someone you have never met in life. But friends are not just people, they are individuals with their unique characteristics and mindset. These features mould an individual and teach many lessons. One cannot experience everything in life. But one can have enough know how about it if someone in his/her friend circle has experienced it. Thus friends allow us to have wider view points which would not have been possible in isolated existence. These wider view points add up to ones experiences that enriches one's life.

A good friend can build a person and a bad friend can ruin that person. This is cent percent relevant. This needs no explanation as examples are present all around us. People should be picky when choosing friends. This should have utmost importance because in the long run the friends prove to be personality builders or vice versa. In this digital era finding real things is very difficult. Same is also the case with friends. If someone bumps into a person who is just right and has all that's right for him/her, that person should be treated with utmost importance and care. This is because finding a person true to himself is rare these days. These persons can mould everyone around them. Be picky and choose to keep the circle small but quality of that circle high. If you achieve few persons who meet the best of the criteria, then you are both lucky and rich. Friendship is a treasure because its difficult to find and when found can change ones life for good..