social networking a boon or a bane?

Most students admit to worrying more about being tagged in

unflattering pictures than their exam results. Is social
networking a boon or a bane?
Sonali Acharjee
September 28, 2012 | UPDATED 15:06 IST
A +A -
I update my Facebook status before I kiss my bride, I check-in every time I use the restroom, I post pictures of my
newborn even before I pick her up from the hospital and I judge my IQ based on the results of an online app. In short, I am
a Facebook addict.

"You can connect to old friends, remember birthdays, study, joke and do so much more online. It isn't just about checking
out gossip about John Abraham. We have newspapers for that. Facebook is more about personal goals. I would be lost
without my Facebook account," says Aditi Trehan, 19, a student of Kamala Nehru, Delhi.

Young philanthropists
Just Giving, United Nations Aid, Asian Development Bank, Oxfam and World Health Organisation widely use Facebook
as a fundraising channel. Individuals can also join the bandwagon. During the 2006 tsunami crisis, over 500 young Indians
started Facebook donation pages to raise funds for those affected.

All one needs is an active Paypal account and a cause to get started. From advocating environmental concerns to women's
safety, Facebook's social currency can easily be converted into social opportunity.

Friends forever
There was a time when snail mail was the only way to keep in touch with classmates and peers. That was before the advent
of Facebook groups. Today one can not only keep in touch easily but one can also locate lost friends.

"I reconnected with a friend after 23 years. We used to share our lunch together in school but completely lost touch when
her family immigrated to Sydney. We chanced upon each other again through our School Feed profiles on Facebook. It
was an amazing feeling to speak to each other again and remember our old school days after so many years," reflects Simi
K. Fernandes, 44, a senior consultant at Wipro.

Happy to help
Facebook might have initially been invented for social purposes but its uses go far beyond just meeting new people today.
From advice on scholarship interviews to tips on solving the GMAT, online student groups and forums discuss millions of
topics each year.

Some official university and campus groups even have special invite-only portals by way of which class notes, lectures,
schedules and exam results can be shared and posted through Facebook.

Topics often go beyond academics and many students seek personal counselling and relationship advice from like-minded
people via Facebook's many forums and pages. For example, the Dalai Lama’s official site has over 4 million active
users who are looking to learn the basics of Buddhist philosophy and seek spiritual guidance.

Networking gurus
When the going gets tough, the tough go on Facebook. The answer to many a job woe lies in logging onto a online
 professional networking group. While some are moderated by job recruiters, while others have been started by former
human resource professionals looking to help youngsters navigate today's tough job market. What's more one can check
out job advertisements and keep up to date on the latest career fairs taking place across the country.

"I sent my resume to the HR head of Groupon through Facebook after I found his account through their corporate website.
I know it was a long shot but it is much more impossible to get a response through the standard application portals these
days. He responded and I got an interview call," exclaims Sandeep George, 26.

53 million Indians have their personal data, pictures, location and contact information uploaded on
Facebook.

10 million children skirt the company age policy of 13 and above.

When psychologists meet a new client today, they first ask to view and analyse their Facebook profile before enquiring
about the problem at hand. "Facebook has become addictive. In a world where we can be anyone and anything we desire,
the lack of social order is bound to have a psychological impact. Sadly, it's usually a negative one. Bullying and peer
pressure are the starting points. They can quickly escalate to murder and suicide if not dealt with promptly and effectively.
One must not underestimate the power and influence of Facebook amongst today's youth," says Dr Suravi Bagchi, 34, a
Delhi-based child psychologist.

Stalk me not
The sense of security that virtual reality gives teenagers can just as easily turn voyeuristic. At a time when Facebook
comments and post are valid terms for divorce, it's not uncommon to find wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends
stalking each other online.

All one needs to do is create a fake username. While Facebook India business manager Pavan Varma stresses that the
company is making a 'huge effort' to crack down on fake profiles, the fact remains that one's privacy can easily be
compromised online if one doesn't understand online privacy options clearly. Very few youngsters care if third party apps
can access their profile or not as they are yet to be made aware of the downside of disclosing their private details online.

Mean girls
Facbbook is the new school yard. "When teachers scold us many of my friends badmouth them online. There are also
times when kids poke fun at classmates who make mistakes in their debate speeches. Most of the time it's all in good
humour. Schools shouldn't take it seriously," says Joy Chattopadhya, 15, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kolkata.

But students poking fun on Facebook often fail to realise the impact negative words can have on different personalities.
Over 100 children were diagnosed in Delhi with symptoms of depression due to the peer pressure they faced on Facebook.

Reality bites
In 1999 when a virtual character called Mr Bungle raped 20 women on LambdaMOO, a virtual house, questions arose for
the first time about the implications and consequences of cyber emotions. All 20 of the women raped went through
emotional trauma as though they had undergone physical rape itself.

"Facebook and social networks have blurred all boundaries between the virtual and the real. One can pretend and believe
that they look like Brad Pitt or dance like Audrey Hepburn. But what happens when the virtual bubble bursts and you are
left to face reality? Students become self-loathing, depressed and demotivated," adds Dr Bagchi.

End of the road

 Cyber suicide rates are growing by the day with the majority of cases involving youth under the age of 25 in India. While
schools and colleges claim to be in the process of devising various plans to handle Facebook peer pressure in a more
effective manner, the rate of suicides continue to increase.

Just a month ago 20-year-old Raksha Sharma from Jalandhar committed suicide. The official reason given was depression
due to malicious comments posted against her on her Facebook wall.

"The need to blend in and be popular is vital today. No one wants to be ridiculed or excluded from a group of friends,
especially on such a public platform like Facebook," explains Abhinandan Basu, assistant teacher, Dyal Singh College,
Delhi.

83 million fake users exist worldwide on Facebook. Stalking via Facebook has increased by 20 per
cent during the last year in India.

350 Facebook related deaths, bullying and crime cases occurred in India the past year.