.jpg)
Last two centuries had seen a radical shift from a traditional society to a knowledge society. Social networking sites have been growing in popularity over the past five years. A social network is a social structure made of individuals or organizations that are tied by one or more specific types of inter-dependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade. The Social network sites allows individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. We have an example like Facebook, which claim to have 1.11 billion active users (March 2013).
The socialization through social network traditionally understood to kill the real face to face socialization. Social networking sites, chat rooms, and blogs are how the world socializes online. According to a recent study, the more frequently a person checks Facebook, the more likely they feel unsatisfied about their own lives. On the contrary an Australian based research study shows, online social networking increases, rather than decreases face-to-face socializing.
I had two recent experiences. One of them was while visiting a US based planetarium. As I was standing in the queue there was a family who spoke my mother tongue (Native language), came rushing to join the queue said to one another a sentence in my mother tongue. While I got a chance I greeted them and said I heard you speaking my mother tongue. They hesitantly said "NO" we don’t speak your language. Later also we found their children speaking the same language. I was wondering why people behave in this way.
My second experience was calling a prominent preacher who studied in the seminary back home, as a senior student, I called him twice and the second time he said "he is in a place where there is no range and he promised to call me back". but he never called me back. I tried to reach him again today, but there was no response from him. I doubt these are my random experience? I am sure, if I was sending them a Facebook friend request they will truly accept my request. Social network sites allow us to be blind to personal interactions. To some extend we come know what happens with people by checking their updates and pictures without even they knowing it. This is the blessed or evil side of the social network.
If a chicken dies in the East Asian village today, it will be in the center of media analyzing what caused its death and how will that affect the global village. One bank in the US lending money to poor credit holder can affect the global economy and the global market. This was not the case 30 years back. I some have realized that Globalized issues and problem of the organized 7+ billion people on this planet creates 7+ billion inherently conservative being. Good for the consumerist global economy.
Access to basic health services and proper sanitation is still a distant dream in several parts of rural India. India has more cell phone connection than toilets. Today we live in a world where everything is to do with socialization. Presence in the social network is the key in the ever transcending culture. Socialization is needed for language and cultural development. Remember one thing, the future of people groups and nations depend on our diligence, courage and willingness to change. Create and make use of our socialization for the social transformation.
Human beings are the best of God’s creation. People are distinguished from the rest of creation in the Genesis record. First, with all the rest of creation God declared Himself satisfied, saying “It is good.” With human life He was very pleased, saying ‘It is very good’.
No comments:
Post a Comment