Ranting in the era of social media

Talk to me about how the COVID pandemic has made us all Netflix addicts! And lo and behold - I watched The Social Dilemma directed by Jeff Orlowski released in January 2020. It was for a little over one and a half hours of disturbing information. It was about how the information served to us for free through social media and employ sophisticated bots to learn about us. I am not suggesting that this is new information - I know how social media functions, you are a product when you consume anything for free. Well, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook's animosity laced media releases explain that. However, while watching the documentary I felt like a pawn. I kid you not, I found myself wondering if a bot is deciding who I date, thanks to the algorithm on dating apps, I ultimately deleted my profile from dating apps. I definitely do not discount the fact that I may have been manipulated into believing or acting a certain way, thanks to all the information rolled out towards me on my Facebook feed.

Getting back to the documentary, it mentioned that social media has made it easier to instigate people using misinformation and create social distress. The polarity has been instigating civil unrest, and can potentially cause mass scale riots. Images, videos, content - can be extremely triggering. I find myself correcting - tag the post as 'Hide This Post' - on my Facebook feed when I see a triggering piece of information. It does ruin my day sometimes. Don't we all see and experience it in our day to day lives. How information can be triggering, toxic or just unproductive. Often after finding a trending thread on Twitter, I need to switch off and rest my mind. Faceless people fighting behind computer screens (many bots) can make one feel low, even if I do not participate in the conversation. The most recent time I found myself triggered was when Umar Khalid was jailed.

Overall, in terms of the world order - what we are doing today will not be the best course of action. We are putting those people in trouble who belong to a certain section of society. Maybe if we pick a historical narrative, it is same as what was done in the past -

1975 Emergency
Indo-pak division
1857 mutiny
World wars
Holocaust
Apartheid
1984 Anti Sikh Riots, Delhi
2002 Godhra/Gujarat Riots
Killing of Native people by colonizers
Black Lives
Slavery
Labour Issues
Immigration
.... and definitely more. The list does not end, I picked what I know of and I am in the process of learning. We do look back and wonder what got in to humans?  

Some of us do look at the 'present time' and wonder what is wrong with the world. There is clear polarity. The historical narrative is picked up in bits and pieces and presented as facts, without any regard for the context.

What do we do when faced with triggering information? The good news is that it is not so much about the information that is been presented to us but our understanding of how we consume the information. Internet is a great technology and it has made our lives easier, but while regulators will act on the regulation aspect of social media, we must deliberately take steps to sensitize and educate ourselves.

In the process of learning to survive with bots, here’s what I am learning to do:

1. Does this help in creating an inclusive world order

2. If I have a feeling of hate, I ask myself - why am I driven to hate? Am I projecting my traumas on a social order?

3. Have I developed a hatred fueled by social media?

4. What sources do I find reliable and why are they reliable?

5. Human beings are characterized by qualities or bad characteristics. What does my mindset say about me as a human being. Not that I want people to like me, can I look at myself and find contentment- that I did not hurt an innocent person, that I did not have an intention (selfish) when I did a good deed?

I'd close by saying - don't just rant, make a positive change with what you consume or express. Please share what you'd like to add to this list.

5 Saal Kejriwal - A Thumping Victory

Not always do you feel this happy, do you? All the AAPtards (AAPians) say aye!

Source - Google Search

A thumping mandate to AAP means reaching to next level of responsibility. It cannot afford to get in a shell of arrogance, overconfidence and shamming personalities. Personally I have had a disconnect with the way any government functions - old fellas shouting in assembly, breaking benches, mics, and creating nuisance. Many of us feel so gloomy with the thought of being face to face with a politician. AAP brings a new face to politics - happy smiling fellas - talking of democracy, new age governance, no corruption and all those fancy promises a Delhite wants to live.

Debate is on whether it is a loss of BJP of not. I would have given benefit of doubt to BJP if it was a close election. But a thumping mandate surely speak a lot. Just 3 seats that go into the kitty of BJP (who projected Modi as the face of campaign) against 67 seats bagged but AAP. I see this as Modi's loss (being the face of BJP during the campaign) than Bedi's loss, who became the face just 2 week before the campaign.

Here are some of contrasts between BJP and AAP:

• Modi's monologue vs Kejriwal's dialogue
• Image shamming tactic by BJP vs Smiling (easy-talker) AAP spokespersons
• BJP's vague vision vs AAP's agenda for Delhi
• PM doning 10 lakh fashion grandiosity vs a Mufflerman as Delhi CM
• Religious intolerance vs discrediting religion from governance
• BJP's 9 months into power vs AAP's 49 days
• BJP's hush campaigns vs AAP's apology
• BJP's donning as protector of women by making them stay indoors vs Kejriwal's CCTV plan
• Modi's achievements front page Advertisements (which are pegged as violation of election commission's guidelines) vs Volunteers with Jhaarus and AAP Caps

Better quality of life wins over than religious derision and ill treatment of quite protesters (I am referring to Cathedral incident). I found many people tagging non-capitalist leadership spread of AAP as a threat. But hang on - the real threat is a real criminal, a mass murderer, a rapist, a person who carries a crime on his cuffs. A socialist, an activist, a democrat, a feminist, etc are ideologies not crime. While capitalist agenda should be followed, the government must not become a machinery to feed the corporate and suffocate humanity.

Author's Note: I would leave you with this thought:
Rape laws must be pegged over IT acts (do we need 5 years for that?)
Uniform Civil Code over Hindu Rashtra (do we need 5 years to put this in place?)
Disability pension for armed forces must not be scrapped (especially when we get so patriotic about Army keeping us safe)

P.S.: An Aam Aadmi has been made into a khaas aadmi by the Aam Aadmi of Delhi. 
I am not going to be a blind follower. Hope ‪#‎AAP‬ sticks for long. Stays honest and true to its core values. Delhites are not easy to fool. Congratulations ‪#‎Aaptards‬ ‪#‎Aapians‬!   Make AAP deliver and keep pushing the Aam Aadmi Party towards best governance. It cannot afford to flounder!

Before you share on Social Media

Source: Google Search

We carry the world in our palm and we know what is happening in the world within minutes of an act. The power of social is immense, but there is a grim line that gyrates between sensational, responsible and funny!

Think of FakingNews.com - purely funny. It presents unverified information for virality. Knowing that it is an outright lie, we laugh and even share some of the updates. Here are the recent ones>>

• BREAKING: SIT requests SC to allow it to hire Arnab to investigate black money offenders. SIT members are really impressed with the way Arnab is able to grill his guests every night on his show.

• BREAKING: Bangalore based IT company introduces “Work-from-Bus” as traffic takes a turn for the worse. A popular tech startup in the IT city has started a trendy way for employees to work, as most of them often fail to reach office on time.

Being bombarded with information in various social touch-points, we are often taken with the sensational aspect of it. We do not cross check it but start becoming a part of a spree that allows for mindless hooliganism.

Most recent example is mocking Pakistan over gender issue. Pakistan has emerged as the world's second-worst country in terms of gender equality, according to the annual Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum. Detailed information brings forth additional shocker - India's ranking fell from 101 out of 136 countries last year to 114 out of 142 countries this year.

Read the full article here>>

I noticed people responsibly sharing their thoughts on the gender issue while using Pakistan gender ranking news to substantiate their point - which is a good strategy. However those who mocked Pakistan need to move beyond comparing apples to oranges philosophy. What should bother us more? In such a scenario, I think India deserves a bigger mocking for not being able to sustain its position forget scaling up the ranking. This was just one example, but there are instances where we join the herd - without thinking much about what we to say. There are times when you can stay quite, it doesn't hurt.

Author's Note: Do you #Google (cross-check) any information (presented as a fact) on social media ? And even if it is a valid information, do you share the thought to bring out a sensational aspect of it or responsible aspect of it?

P.S.: The point to ponder is whether we even realise if we are made to like seemingly responsible story for a sensational purpose.

FarmVille

Cyber world offers virtual farming on Facebook. It is a real time-farm simulation game developed by Zynga. According to wikipedia, the application has 63.7 million active users on November 9th, 2009. 

It keeps coming up with new features, take stock of your level, makes you earn cash/coins. I enjoy it and keep glued to it even if I am dead tired. Coz I simply enjoy the feeling of being associated with farms. I have a barn house, Hot Air Balloon, a tractor, and what not! My friends keep gifting me Goats, Cows, Chicken, Reindeer, Horses etc. 

I found a cat too, and three turkeys and my farm houses a windmill. Its a small virtual world which I can associate to, and It belongs to me. I customized myself into a virtual girl, with long red hair. I have to take care of the harvest, to avoid it from getting withered. As I keep getting more neighbors, I get an entitlement to expand my farm. 

I can arrange the stuff as I wish to. During Haloween, I brought Tombstones, and some Jack-o-lanterns. I can help my friends by shoowing away the crows, or fox disturbing the animals of eating away the crop. This is Farmville offered as an application by the famous social networking site, facebook. 

Author's Note: I am one of the active farmville addict! I know many people get bugged with it, but I cant stop to see my level scaling up!.

Net-wor(k)ld

The terms Networking and social marketing are driving the corporate agenda to new limits. While scanning through blogs I see a lot of focus on social marketing endeavours.  

Now the question:

Did the online networking tools like social networking sites like orkut, facebook, twitters, linkedin and blogs gave birth to this concept?

Or 

Did the concept paved way for the development of the online networking tools?

An article online outlined how an entrepreneur / aspiring entrepreneur locate business online. Its all there and easily accessible now. 

The networld is just as amazing as an ATM. I don't see any problem in locating information. Information is instantly served on the desktop, just a bit of effort is require when one fiddles with the mouse and type a few words. This takes me to a mail sent by a friend, which highlights google suggestions, when one types on the search box:

Why are Indians

(The drop down item with suggestions come up with some sensible search items) 

Why are Americans

(The drop down item with suggestions come up with some baseless search items) 

Why are Chinese

(The drop down item with suggestions come up with some funny search items) 

Try it have a laugh. And please suggest who came first - Social Marketing or the online world of Networking