Facebook Lessons (F on Day 6 of A to Z Challenge 2015).

Times of being busy
Being really really busy
Busy doing nothing
Busy killing time
Are the times to loathe.
So we make time to be on Facebook.

Source: Google Search

Debating, fighting trolls, bullies, cyber harassers while attempting hard to make sense out of our point. Perhaps trying to make people understand our point.

That's when I learnt a few things through Facebook, and here they are:

1. Tolerance while facing disagreements from friends. No two people think alike, how can friends? It is important to respect each other's opinions, not to get into a trail of updates that faintly demean your friends.

2. Standing up-to cyber harassers and bullies. Well yes, this is big one and I did stand up to one quite recently.

3. Satire while dealing with the trolls. When logic does not make sense, satire does!

4. Understanding what I just do not want to be. I live and let live, so I do not want to be a bigot, extremist and someone with an orthodox mindset.

5. Clarifying when being misunderstood. Not everyone will read what you meant with your words, in-fact they will dissect each of your words and come up with conspiracy theories. Arghh moments they are.

Author's Note: With Facebook and social media interactions, our ideas of life, philosophies and the way we view world is out in the open. Some of us are against this concept, I am not. I can put myself out there with my thoughts and things I truly believe in.

And yes, from time to time I do feel that there is an overdoes. I switch off, thanks to the deactivate Facebook account option!

P.S. Facebook Lessons for F - April 7, 2015. My sixth post for the A to Z April Challenge.

Emoticon Magic (E on Day 5 of A to Z Challenge 2015).

To some it is a cute little gesture
To some it is gross exaggeration
To some it is perils of technology
To some it is a soothing touch on mobile screen
To some.......

You like them, hate them but you cannot ignore them. Because yes, they have the power of flashing a smile on your face when you are low, or make you go mad at a friend who purposely sent you one for making you go in rage with angst.

Allow me to reinvent the old adage - Emoticons speak louder than words.

People don't use words anymore. From Whatsapp, Viber, Skype to BBM the struggle for finding the best emoticon to fit into our emotional state is on.

Feeling feature on Facebook allows a user to add a feeling accompanying an emoticon. For feelings that are not auto-listed, a user can put them up as status and use a suitable emoticon to express one's feeling.

Here is one of those Facebook experiences:

Drop in the comment box your funny, serious, not-so-funny, naive, boring, ...... Emoticon Moment. 

Author's Note: While emoticons are creative way of expressing how one feels, sad faced emoticons get my blood boiling. Just the look of it, no matter who sends it.. Arghh!

P.S.: Emoticon Magic for E - April 6, 2015. My fifth post for the A to Z April Challenge.

Image Source: Google Image Search

Choice Debate Settled - #MyChoice (C on Day 3 of A to Z Challenge 2015)

I have always believed that fights over gender roles crush individuality.

As a society we end up creating segments in our minds man-woman, male-female and girl-boy. Thus #HerChoice and #HisChoice was created.

I am referring to "My Choice" Directed By Homi Adajania - Vogue Empower that features Deepika Padukone and 98 other women.

And a vast number of people have taken offensive exception to the line - sex outside marriage, my choice. The purpose to urge patriarchy to recognize that women have a choice too, has lost in fiery debates crying over. Men (and other societal forces) went bonkers with fear that their 'property' could sleep outside of marriage. It is sad that the society wants to take control of our choices. But there are many of us who refuse to make small, big, everyday life's decisions based on societal perception of right and wrong. We challenge ourselves out of a rut the society has created. We fight - our families, friends and silent onlookers.

A friend aptly puts the crux of this debate - The short film is simply a note that - stop manipulating a woman, they are equally capable of making their own choices and a man (society) strictly has no right to dominate her decisions. 

Caption:
Before being categorized under a gender, we are all individuals

We may get killed us if we show dissent and we see it in the name of 'Honour'. People (read Society) are scared that Deepika's followers might take her comments seriously and follow her and not use a mind of their own. This debate makes me wonder if you (read Society) as a parent doubt your (read Societal) upbringing. Because out of all the years you (read Society) have associated with your (read Societal) child, a less than three minute video can change?

If we grow up our kids to have a mind of their own, to distinguish between the right and wrong then it must not bother us.

If you are scared that youngsters will be trapped - then
A. Keep your upbringing strong
B. Allow them to make mistakes, they will be wiser.

Society, your flawed upbringing laced with morally righteous is hollow. You are being hypocrites, sexists, misogynists by shamming Deepika's acceptance to the concept of open marriages. Because if she does or anybody does, it is between those involved in the matrimonial setup.

A woman faintly hinting at open marriage is not acceptable and men (read Society) fear losing their dearly held 'property' (read Women) to someone. 

If it is a man - it is manly, and when it is a woman it is a whorish?

Society, it shakes our double standards - be it Deepika or a non celebrity we all have to have the liberty of opinion.

Let's settle the Choice debate with an individualistic message #MyChoice, applicable equally to all (Men, Women, Other).

Author's Note: When we ask for a just (gender neutral) society, we are tagged as Fem Nazis. Feminism is taken in wrong spirits by many. I am not blaming all men, so before someone comments here that all men are not the same, let's not forget that even all women are not the same. Allow us to be. Period.

Don't start the Indian Sanskriti Drama, you make it look ugly not just to me but to the world. 

P.S.: Choice Debate Settled - #MyChoice for C - April 3, 2015. My third post for the A to Z April Challenge.

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.