Verified badge vs Safe Digital Space
Editor,
Not very long ago, Twitter and Meta rolled out verified badges globally, including in India. It was only recently that the country’s social media users started to cling to the opportunity of having the badge next to their usernames.This badge holds a lot of value. At the very birth of a social media ecosystem, well-known personalities, like actors, sportspersons, politicians, singers, big organizations, government officials, journalists, and many others, are the privileged ones to get the badge. It was a matter of pride; and the presence of this badge makes the account, whether public or private, legitimate or authentic,
According to history, Twitter first used the blue tick in June 2009, followed by Google+ in 2011, Facebook in 2012, Instagram in 2014, and Pinterest in 2015. Once a person has 100,000 or more subscribers on YouTube, they can request a verification badge. It also includes an “official artist” logo for musicians and bands, and Google just added ‘blue ticks’ for Gmail accounts.
The question for the hoi polloi is,
4 Is this a matter of concern?
4 Will the common people benefit from it?
4 Does this benefit help in certain ways?
4 Is the blue tick fee a way of extorting people’s money?
4 Why is there a need for everyone to have access to the badge?
4 Who should subscribe and who should not? Is Rs 699 worth spending?
Any social media user can subscribe to it and unsubscribe as per their will.
Everyone has the right to do whatever they feel is right for them. We live in a world of digital technology where even a toddler who can hardly utter a word or two has an account on Instagram if not Facebook. Today’s world is totally different; a friend’s Humpty Dumpty fall in a schoolyard is being viewed by hundreds of other digital strangers. Every move we make in the twenty-first century is known to at least a hundred or thousand people; keep in mind, they are simply virtual acquaintances if not friends. We shoot our moments, release them online, and leave a long-lasting digital presence for good. Will it serve us in the future? We don’t know. Will it help us? A separate argument for this will be required.
On the contrary, to answer the questions mentioned above, I lay out the following argument: The 21st Century is nothing but a century of blessings in disguise. People have access to technologies, mobile phones, ideas, and crafts. Not a single person in this beautiful dimension of ours has any limitations; they just grab onto the available resources to make the best use of them. Even a white elephant can become gold or otherwise in the digital platform. The point is that everyone is a celebrated individual in their own unique way. Gone are the days when we actually had an icon or an idol. In today’s age, kids change their idols and icons instantly. Their idol can last for four days, a week, or a month. Eventually, they will find another one that is better, and this cycle continues; it goes on and on to infinity.
A blessing of the 21st century is that people have started to recognize, appreciate, and acknowledge anyone who has the calibre of a national or international icon.
The growth of social media followers is overwhelming; supporters support their idols and imitate every move they make. From the way they dress to the products, they use and the restaurants they visit. This is but a healthy way of supporting at present, which might be otherwise in the future. We need acknowledgment in various ways, and the audience is doing just that.
When talking about spam accounts, or fake accounts, not only are well-known personalities like Lana Del Rey, Tom Cruise, or John Cena guilty of having a plethora of fake accounts, but even a celebrated musician like Jessie Lyngdoh, a well-known Model, Mary Khyriem and a few others have encountered fake accounts created by their supporters or individuals with ill intentions, aiming for a completely different goal such as besmirching someone’s reputation or even spam random digital friends and family. Not only are they targeted but the common rank and file too are victims to many online crimes or traps. Many accounts are created in the names of innocent victims to dupe their loved and closed ones. Impersonating people is one of the main reasons hackers or scammers scam people. Hence, the need for users to get their accounts verified is the only way out because it protects their accounts from the risk of getting hacked.
There are several instances and cases that have evolved in the digital world that have ruined the lives of many because of fake accounts. Many have lost contact with their friends, others have been looted in different ways, and the list continues.
What Mark and Elon did with their platforms is not really a matter of debate and is definitely a bane or a boon for many users. They have, in a way, addressed this never debated digital problem in digital space but rolled it out to consumers in a much better way. The perks of being a subscriber are many. For eg: if you are a twitter blue subscriber, you get
a A verified blue checkmark.
a The ability to post longer Tweets and videos.
a Reach and engagement
a The ability to cancel a Tweet before it is sent.
a A stream of Top Articles shared by persons you follow and the people they follow.
a The ability to alter some Tweets during the first 30 minutes., and many others,
And if you are Meta Verified, you get
a A verified badge.
a It increases the protection of your account.
a Unique Stickers etc
Several social media users have subscribed to the badge in the last few days. Interestingly, a few others were slamming them in the form of reels and memes, among other things. Is it necessary to react to everything that isn’t helpful? So, should you sign up for the badge? That is for you to decide, not for the rest of the world to consider. If you spend ₹699 on it and it helps you flourish in the space, there should be no other reason to stop you. Because that’s what the world does, everyone will laugh. They notice other people’s behaviour but are unaware that they are making a mistake with or without their knowledge. Don’t be afraid to subscribe. DO IT IF THE BLUE TICK CAN SAVE YOU AND GIVE YOU REACH!
Yours etc.,
Emidao Shylla,
Via email
