SBI PO 2015: Social Networking - Boon or Bane?

On account of SBI PO 2015, here we are providing you all an essay on "Social Networking - Boon or Bane?" Hope you all like the post!!!

Yes, there you see a crowd…… barge in and shoot out the most fancied and frequently asked question of the century….. Is there anyone without a Facebook Account? You are sure to be insulted, with not a single person would raise his hand indicative of the fact that either all of them possess accounts or that the handful of them without such Accounts are holding back out of sheer feeling of shame and embarrassment. This is the scenario faced by the world today. "The World dominated by Social Networking Sites". Facebook, Twitter, What's App and its other counterparts have become the favorite abode for the world at large. They have become a part and parcel of our lives as it takes not more than a fraction of a second for anything good or bad to go VIRAL!!!!

In today's busy world where all of us are striving to earn a livelihood, life has become extremely mechanical and utmost hectic. With the tremendous advancement in IT sector, the primary respite to the so called " Mechanical Men" from their daily chores lies in Social Media and Social Media in its various manifestations like Facebook, Twitter and What's App have not failed to engulf the whole world into its ambit, so much so that people everywhere are glued on to the platform provided to them, each one of them busy creating a niche for themselves in the virtual media, where they portray their unique identity, their views and opinions.

Social Networking sites have brought about a dramatic change in our outlook today. People feel free to voice out their opinion and lend their ears to others as they are sure that there would be supporters for their views as well. These sites aptly replicate the mass media, several times more powerful than the third estate as all our views may not be acceptable to the print media. They can also be regarded as the storehouse of knowledge as people come to know about all that is going on around them, keeping them adequately updated with current affairs. Social media has laid open the windows for the users to soar high with the power of their views, imagination, ideas and opinions. It has become the most effective tool for initiating a social cause, be it for lending alms to the poor or for anything relating to our immediate surroundings. The strength that such campaigns imbibe when presented in the social media is sure to move mountains and is worth emulating. The users of social media have gained something more….. yes their old friends and acquaintances that they have left out long ago amidst their haste to get settled in life. They get to know about the whereabouts of their friends and have a look at their photos and videos real time.

But of course, we shouldn't forget that every sunny day has within its fold, a dreary and dreadful night and so it is in the case of social networking sites….. Yes all is not well with social networking sites. This recent entrant is sometimes referred to as the Weapon of Mass Destruction….. for their dynamic power to destroy anything good on their way, be it the valuable time or relationship between near and dear ones. The productive time that is wasted by people, especially youth in surfing such sites have nothing to be compensated with and it for this simple reason that many corporate have banned such sites during office hours. These sites offer a fertile ground for cyber fraud and cyber evils threatening the community to be staged. There are infinite number of fake accounts floated on such sites and people fall mercilessly into such traps almost unabated which is evident from the numerous instances blared out by newspapers every single day. Above all social networking sites lack the personal touch that is inherent while receiving a phone call or a message from your dearest friend. It is often said that "As you get closer to your far away friends through Facebook, you get farther away from those who are close to you." Think of the duration of the joy that you get when you receive a like on face book for any of your comments/Photos. It is truly not more than a minute …. And what is the whole point in making thousands of friends on Facebook when in reality you don't have any intimacy with them and you are sure that they won't turn up when you are in trouble. Such sites don't forget to send you intimation about your friend's birthday….. but do you really need the help of such sites to remember your friend's birthday??? The latest trend witnessed in society today is among school children opening Facebook Accounts and chatting with friends whom they meet every day at schools. The whole idea of using social networking sites in such disastrous ways has contributed to its disadvantages.

It is high time for us to realize that whether social networking sites are a boon or a bane depends on how effectively and efficiently it is made use of by people at large. However it would not be proper to end without proclaiming that they have truly helped people overcome the geographical barriers and have transformed the whole world into a GLOBAL VILLAGE.