Social Media - the Mindless animal, a sharp beast or a human ageing agent?
Zukerberg's trials and trepidations are not unknown to the world now, his own device which had made him a "hostel hero" and then a world magnet has got him crushing down to his feet, begging for forgiveness and meekly accepting the blame for his own grand failures.
Isn't it funny that today, social or the web can transform an unknown individual into an icon and then transform an icon back into an infamous villain.
Be it Chanda K or Zukerberg, or our jewel thief (figuratively) Nirav Modi everyone has risen and fallen on the web. I remember reading Chanda K's article on how she balances her home and the bank, and is there on every family occasion (I often wondered how, when even I with my near modest take home - I can not guarantee my presence everywhere and often have to cut a sorry figure at functions :) ).
The same platforms built her image and now have completely destroyed it - the picture of a sad looking CEO is being shamelessly showcased on all platforms.
Now our friend Zuckerberg has become the world's sorriest figure, in a hope to garner the sympathy of several Facebook users whose ire he has invoked by sharing their "so called personal data" such as which vacations they have taken recently, pictures of their dogs turning "1", or kid's winning certificates and medal - or "being blessed" by routine day events, or having dinner and drinks with their own family. Even though they might fight with them on a daily basis - Really? - if so many of us were ideal wives, husbands and so on, why are the divorce rates in India going up so very drastically?
It bring us to the question, what data is personal? and if we really value personal data why do we flash it? what is privacy? and do we really want it?
If we willingly declare every detail from shifting our house, to going for a picnic, to which airport or business lounge we are at, don't we do so willingly? - slightly bending towards a certain pomp and show?
Please ask yourself if you were a company will you pay huge tera bytes of storage and not even use what the customers more than willingly share with you? How will you survive? Airtel does exactly the same thing, only one addition - you pay them as well. At least you don't pay FB.
This is FB's "data model" and those who respect their privacy never put everything on Facebook, which has become an ad laden, redundant platform full of silly private details and mindless boasting prowess.
Those who provide their details really really want them to be known, they want to - via FB- create a "mini celebrity" out of themselves, but don't want FB to use their details - excellent double standards.
The FB model which is based on advertising and data analysis has gone a step further with expertly tailored advertising and marketing which has made it a sucker of your hard earned money as well, so FB not only encourages you to show off and spend money, it also ensares you into In-app purchases and also purchases for their third parties.
Shein, Hopscotch, First cry, indeed I have bought a lot of things which I wouldn't have earlier, had these not been on FB and its predictive analytics, and had I not engrained them on my mobile platform. But frankly, no one realised this till Cambridge Analytica exposed the bare bones of the platform which was squeezing our saving and reducing our life to endless days in the glass house, being praised mindlessly and being chastised with out any apparent reason as well.
Not to mention everyone from a turkey to a snail having developed an opinion and a voice due to their footprints being so easily made in the social space. And "trolls" where were they few years back? - sitting in their houses enjoying a cold drink with the neighbours, but due to a massive "Indian human relationships" failure they have excess time to chat on the net and chastise and criticise.
Oh yes, let me ask you - Did Jhanvi and Khushi Kapoor do the right thing by celebrating their mother's birthday few days post her demise? - WOW, a simple question which actually brought folks to the seems of judgement and they also tore with the self importance their opinions gave them.
I have wasted a pot load of money for the sake of false convenience, bought rubbish of the net, and added 100s of products into the Amazon list. Also, a million curriers have been delivered at my home, with excess packaging and I have added shamelessly and for no real reason to the vast garbage dumps in various oceans. I have also thought about how to lose weight instantly after delivering and thus literally wound up with head aches and weakness, all due to the lovely applications which show tiny women wearing dainty clothes, I have thought of becoming a "life coach", opening a restaurant,
being an image consultant and even a "Super Mom"- doing everything, having time for everything.
An image which I have chased due to endless articles on social media on how to manage time, "5 ways how to do this", "6 easy snack ideas" and I really do not know what to do and how to use this excessive information which has been circling in my head.
All the little outcomes of social media!
Comments
Lovely read!