By Ananya S Guha
Recently I went to an inter school debate which was on a very relevant subject: ‘Social Media has Power but No Responsibility’. The children from different schools of Shillong spoke eloquently on the need to address the misuse of the social media. But, many pointed out that it all depends on individuals using them, for negative or positive reasons.
The recent examples of the exodus of residents of North East India from different parts of the country were attributed to the wanton misuse of the social media. But, as some of the students countered, this is not the fault of the sites, per se, it is the individual who abuses it.
Power was defined as revolutionizing thoughts, such as the anti corruption Movement of Anna Hazare, the insurrections in Libya and Egypt. I think this is a complex subject.
If we say that the media has power, but no responsibility, the questions here are; where does power come from, what is power, and what ‘responsibility’ does the media networks entail? Does not power and responsibilities go hand in hand; Plato’s decree that power can be used for the general good holds water here.
If one argues for the motion, it means that one has to uphold the power factor, with a denial of responsibility. Arguing against the motion means there may or may not be power, but it certainly entails responsibility. This is difficult and complex, especially for school children, to wind themselves in a kind of tautology.
There are two clear tracts to the debate: Power and Responsibility. Are they exclusive, or should they been seen as two separate strands of thought? Again where does the power and responsibility, emanate from? Is it not from people; is it not from groups, individuals, adults and young adults? Then, the expression social media can include all types of the media: print, electronic, social networking sites.
Social networking sites are also a form of Citizen Journalism, but in Citizen Journalism also there must be decorum, even if one is critiquing policies and views, especially government policies.
This will also bring in the question of the Internet being used to radicalize education. Unless we view the Internet as a powerful tool of social inclusion, including education, it will remain a mere apparatus, a new found toy, to be handled at will. The fact is, that it is a means to a larger end, not an end in itself.
Social media networks can be used for collaborative projects, in social and academic areas of expression. It can be used with sentience for creative writing and art. It can be used for very positive networking fraught with goals that are sensitive, at the end of it all. It is called social media for obvious reasons; the goals are social, not political or personal. It has societal ends in mind. It talks of the impact the Internet has on society, as an ontological and philosophical tool. Can we raise these ends so that everyone has free access to learning and knowledge, social work through an open access to technology, and not to spout venom at others, not to stalk people?
One child made the point of narcissism; yes it has semblances of narcissism which perhaps to some extent or the other, every human being suffers from. Social Media has both power and responsibility, if we see them being unleashed in the spirit of the greater good of the society, in the spirit of a philanthropy, and humanism. Any anti-humanist stance will make us insufferable puppets in its enormous and obese hands!
The internet is ethically or unethically geared towards a social commodity of good or bad, right and wrong. It all depends on the users and how they use the benefit of the internet for social purpose and good, also for literary and corporate purposes. It is well articulated today and agreed upon that the world has become smaller in size due to the internet and even teaching, learning and meetings can be held because of it in a synchronous manner. These are its benefits, but it is also a double edged sword which can create and at the same time kill. The creativity is inherent and the society can use it as a collective good or for interaction with other community members all over the world for academic, literary and business benefits. If it is used in the right way it can also enhance personal relationships. It can act as a bridge between nations, worlds, civilizations and cultures. Social Networking is an ethos which is of the masses and it breaks barriers of the elites and the classes. In fact, by having software in different languages it narrows down the English bias and the contention that the only important language of international or national eminence is English. Moreover, the internet and social networking sites augment a very personal kind of journalism where people share their photos, anecdotes, their writings both creative and non creative with friends, colleagues and would be friends. The more the internet and social networking sites is used for education, culture and bridging hiatus between races and ethnicity, the better.
We must take them or leave them.