Social Media and Social Relationships
Relation is that true spirit of trust and dependence we render towards our dear and near ones. The communication a person establishes to another becomes the base of a relationship. Through the ages relationships has been established between two distinct personas through various mediums of communication. Messengers, Letters, Telegram, Telex and Telephone are all stages of development in communication. But today these are all of a long gone past. Today social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and You Plus have become the ‘Relation Builders’.
Friendship, the most cherished relationship among the teenagers, cannot be complete without a Facebook account. Though they meet each other daily, for two friends, chatting on Facebook or Google is a different experience. Many of us, while chatting, ask questions which we cannot ask directly. Many of us are more open towards personal questions while chatting. Such openness makes friendship deeper and stronger. Playing multiplayer games and trying different apps together with distant friends build amongst us the feeling of team-spirit which we usually experience only with our neighbours. Sharing our feelings, experiences and achievements adds up to our personality before the world.
Not only has social networking promoted friendship but also has helped in maintaining family relations. These websites have proved to be a boon for family members living away from the family. Students studying at a distant place, workers working abroad, daughters living far away after marriage etc. all can connect with their families whenever they wish. Thus even though separated, they are not alienated from the family, preserving the ethics and values of family and most importantly upholding the intricate relationships to shine forever.
Today social networking sites have reached those extents which were hitherto considered impossible through any forms of communication except oral communications. Nowadays Facebook and Twitter have become instrumental in building love relationships. There are marriages being done across the world with just the virtual acquaintance. It would be surprising to know that such marriages occur even in traditional India, let alone the modern Western countries. Even though there are one or two black sheep here and there, these ‘virtual turned to real’ relationships are successful on an overall basis. But when we say about marriages it should not be hidden that divorces are also happening due to social networking sites. Cases of Wife getting to know about the second wife of her husband and vice versa through social networking sites has been seen on an increasing proportion in the last few years.
Social networking sites, thus, has opened to us a new realm for making, maintaining and fostering relationships. It has mixed, to a larger proportion, technology and human emotions. Men are now making friends, lovers and enemies online. Still many of us are sceptics towards this new frontier of relationships. We still believe that people and relationships on internet are not real. We still not trust our fellow human beings. But what is relationship? It is, as mentioned, the genuine spirit of trust and dependence on others. But if one lacks this essence of life he would be all alone even if surrounded by billions of people. By no means can one have relationship if he/she doesn’t dare to trust someone. Cheating and betrayal of trust and relationships are repeatedly found in the pages of history since ancient times. The relationship between Judas and Christ wasn’t online but still there was a betrayal of trust and relationship. Such unreal relationships, even in love and friendship, are occurring still today in the ‘real’ world. Social networking sites provide a new interface to build up relationships but cannot change the mind-set of people and those wants to cheat will cheat (even in the ‘real’ world) and those who want to make relations can make relations (even in the ‘virtual’ world).
In these times of abhorrence and hatred Social networking sites have, to the greatest potential, provided a boom to friendship and relationship especially the youth, tomorrow’s citizens. So it is obviously the better relation though virtual. Today’s youth, even if busy, finds time to develop mutual understanding, trust and connexions only because of the convenience provided by the social networking sites. They have found love and trust from beyond the national and natural boundaries. Even though from a virtual source, they have inherited, deep into their hearts, the values of tolerance, understanding and unity. They are the light of the future and let’s hope that they preserve and promote these values and make this world a better place to live.
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