If you are someone who has followed Kannada movies and tele-serials, you may know an actor of repute by name Shobha Raghavendra. In real life, she is a delightful, open minded person. She is related from my wife's side and I really admire her sense of humor in-spite of many personal challenges she and her family have faced. Once, when we met, she narrated how her virtual characters on screen, which are mostly evil in nature, get reaction in real life. When she is shopping in the streets or in a nearby mart, people have accosted her and abused her about the way she treated the 'innocent', 'good' characters in a given episode. Some encounters included responding to physical threats. Fortunately, Ms. Raghavendra is a good sport and sees the positives in terms of how convincing her negative roles were. Although, she wishes people drew the distinction between virtual and real lives.
Let us look at our own lives and recent events. Especially, those which are currently hot on social media. The recent unnatural death of IAS officer D. K. Ravi, for example. Almost everyone has an opinion. Friends, families are split in their opinions on what really happened, who is wrong, what needs to be done. Facebook, whatsapp is full with blogs, comments, photo links, opinions, and criticism. TV news coverage is 'live' with interviews, expert opinion, debate, political commentary, blame, counter claim, conspiracy theories, comments, coverage of affected families including the family dog. There is no respite from the drama, trauma of the whole situation.
I'm totally in support of freedom of expression. Whether it is correct, incorrect, comic, tragic, satirical, one has the right to express. However, my concern is freedom of thought, which is even subtle than expression and speech. Without even realizing, this is getting hijacked. Pre-biased, opinionated facts, figures are beamed right up in your living rooms. Social media gives you a even better platform to add your comments, selfies, first person, third person accounts on every 'happening' event. Very recently I saw a teen posting a selfie with his dead periyappa titled 'feeling very sad'. Of course young man, you are sad. Why make a public spectacle of yourself and your dead periyappa? When there is a gruesome accident or mob incident, the crowd instantaneously reaches for the 'smart' phone. Not to call the ambulance or police for help. But videograph, photograph the event. Become instant celebrities, be part of events which may just be your lucky ticket to eternal celebrity-dom. When the mother was wailing for her dead son, did you notice the number of cameras, microphone recording her every action, cry of despair? The same is edited and played in a loop - time and again amplifying this emotion thousand times. The entire society is trapped in this virtual emotion. You have no choice and are forcefully made witness, judge and jury reliving the entire saga, again and again. You need only wait until the next big thing happens. The earlier event fades away from collective psyche. The new event replaces it and cycle repeats again.
What happened to sense of privacy? What happened to basic human decency? Reacting and commenting along with popular sentiment is the new norm. Everyone wants full disclosure, full details, with everyone becoming the know it all. A judgement is given instantly in favor of the victim - never mind we didn't know the victim 2 weeks back. The social mob can now decide who the perpetrator is, even if faceless. The social mob now wants justice to be delivered this very instant. Existing law, justice system be damned, 'cos existing systems are not working. 'The nation wants to know' - no matter no one is willing to listen, everyone wants an answer which they already know.
My basic point is this. Please wake-up, you are being played. Welcome to the new information age where every happening event is an opportunity for media TRP and political brownie points. Your emotional intelligence is being unwittingly leveraged in this game. The solutions to issues need to come from grass roots. It is easy to blame the system and externalize the problem. Part of the solution lies within yourself and hidden. Connect with your real families, friends and community. Sure, use social media as a tool for the same. Do remember that the social media and the HDTV you have in your living room is truly 'virtual'. Don't sacrifice your real life to a virtual world.
Let us look at our own lives and recent events. Especially, those which are currently hot on social media. The recent unnatural death of IAS officer D. K. Ravi, for example. Almost everyone has an opinion. Friends, families are split in their opinions on what really happened, who is wrong, what needs to be done. Facebook, whatsapp is full with blogs, comments, photo links, opinions, and criticism. TV news coverage is 'live' with interviews, expert opinion, debate, political commentary, blame, counter claim, conspiracy theories, comments, coverage of affected families including the family dog. There is no respite from the drama, trauma of the whole situation.
I'm totally in support of freedom of expression. Whether it is correct, incorrect, comic, tragic, satirical, one has the right to express. However, my concern is freedom of thought, which is even subtle than expression and speech. Without even realizing, this is getting hijacked. Pre-biased, opinionated facts, figures are beamed right up in your living rooms. Social media gives you a even better platform to add your comments, selfies, first person, third person accounts on every 'happening' event. Very recently I saw a teen posting a selfie with his dead periyappa titled 'feeling very sad'. Of course young man, you are sad. Why make a public spectacle of yourself and your dead periyappa? When there is a gruesome accident or mob incident, the crowd instantaneously reaches for the 'smart' phone. Not to call the ambulance or police for help. But videograph, photograph the event. Become instant celebrities, be part of events which may just be your lucky ticket to eternal celebrity-dom. When the mother was wailing for her dead son, did you notice the number of cameras, microphone recording her every action, cry of despair? The same is edited and played in a loop - time and again amplifying this emotion thousand times. The entire society is trapped in this virtual emotion. You have no choice and are forcefully made witness, judge and jury reliving the entire saga, again and again. You need only wait until the next big thing happens. The earlier event fades away from collective psyche. The new event replaces it and cycle repeats again.
What happened to sense of privacy? What happened to basic human decency? Reacting and commenting along with popular sentiment is the new norm. Everyone wants full disclosure, full details, with everyone becoming the know it all. A judgement is given instantly in favor of the victim - never mind we didn't know the victim 2 weeks back. The social mob can now decide who the perpetrator is, even if faceless. The social mob now wants justice to be delivered this very instant. Existing law, justice system be damned, 'cos existing systems are not working. 'The nation wants to know' - no matter no one is willing to listen, everyone wants an answer which they already know.
My basic point is this. Please wake-up, you are being played. Welcome to the new information age where every happening event is an opportunity for media TRP and political brownie points. Your emotional intelligence is being unwittingly leveraged in this game. The solutions to issues need to come from grass roots. It is easy to blame the system and externalize the problem. Part of the solution lies within yourself and hidden. Connect with your real families, friends and community. Sure, use social media as a tool for the same. Do remember that the social media and the HDTV you have in your living room is truly 'virtual'. Don't sacrifice your real life to a virtual world.
