Guide to Social Media Etiquette

Social media is a web of several good as well as bad attributes, from where we should always pick the good and the best things that we get. For any newly registered social media user or blogger, it is equally important to know that social networking sites have a myriad to offer them of which not everything that we come across is good for our knowledge system to register.

Especially school kids in Bangalore who are on various social networking sites should be guided well by their parents and teachers into knowing what to use and how to use. It is true that children are liable to get misguided by the inappropriate content available online, but however, if they are prohibited or punished for using a certain thing, then teenagers have the habit of rebelling against such decisions, which indeed could be more lethal for any parent child relationship.

So it is highly advisable that parents assist their children into getting acquainted with the world of social media. Now social media is a powerful tool and kids should be made aware of the power of social media, how it can shine a man to fame or bring down a person to shame. If parents casually sit and discuss with their children about issues that are concerned with social media and discuss the pro’s and con’s of it then children will have a better idea of what they would be dealing with.

Facebook for instance, or Orkut and BigAdda are just one medium of social media, through which people can associate with family, friends and relatives and stay in touch with them even after being away from them. But other form of social media includes, blogging, advertising, sharing of content on a professional platform like LinkedIn, etc. There are several usages of social media to reach out to people these days, to spread the word of mouth anywhere and everywhere possible.

Sometimes, these social media websites can be misused to propagate a wrong message to the listeners, which could instigate a mob’s sentiments or a religious outbreak or a youth revolution. As young adult school going children, what one could do, is to use this power to harness a enthusiastic and energised youth to work towards a goal for improving the conditions within the society, changing the lives of underprivileged sections, helping several NGO’s to gain benefit for their cause, protect the environment and most importantly bring a revolution that could bring a massive change in our country India.

Tech-Oriented

Social media is changing the way we communicate. By extension, it’s also changing the way we get our information and how we learn. Rather than banning social media from the classroom, many secondary schools are reaching out to students on Twitter, Facebook and a host of other services — and it is surprisingly working out.

Social media, which is looked as a mayhem that struck this world, is actually helping the students to market their very own projects and assignments that they have worked hard on, to showcase on social media. This is like free publicity done, which could help them to come into limelight if and when they are spotted by eminent people who are their target audience.

Also, social websites provide a great space of individual surveys and other research programs that are conducted by students themselves. Earlier, social media was only being used as a means of extending one’s networking to far and wide places, irrespective of whether you know or don’t know the other person, but these days they are being used a means of propagating one’s own message to the world.

We can never forget the Jasmine Revolution which took off on the Facebook website and led to the downfall of the Tunisian President, who was dictating over the people of Tunisia and was draining the resources for his own benefit and how people were emulating themselves because of frustration and no job and no food to feed to their dependants.

The Jasmine revolution is a mark in the books of history that how a social networking website, led to the great Tunisian revolution and the downfall of Ben Ali. These days, propagating one’s own industrious purpose online is quite a less expensive affair and the word spreads fast, it’s something like wildfire that soon spreads the entire jungle.

However like everything, there is a negative and positive aspect to everything, it applies to social websites as well. Like wildfire, it has the ability to spread false news, thus resulting in some action that is absolutely not required in that scenario. For example: two days ago there was a verdict that came out ruled by the Madras High Court. The judgement spoke of commitment after sexual act. It said if a bachelor has completed 21 years of age and an unmarried woman 18 years, they have acquired the freedom of choice guaranteed by the Constitution. "Consequently, if any couple choose to consummate their sexual cravings, then that act becomes a total commitment with adherence to all consequences that may follow, except on certain exceptional considerations."

But the message that spread across was that Madras High Court ordered that any couple who has had sexual relationship is considered married. Thus we should always be careful in what to post and where.

Minu Aravind is a self motivated writer and blogger with an ability to develop unique content , is associated with IGCSE Schools in bangalore. She is a strong advocate of high-grade education, and focuses to develop blogs and articles in the field of education, parenting, child development and so on.

Succumbing to Peer Pressure

A well said quote which goes as, “Friends and books should be few and good”, it surely does matter a lot when one has to choose the group where they prefer to be seen with by the outsiders. When we are toddlers and we enter, the hallowed portals of a school, as children we always seem to live in the fear of every stranger that we come across when we enter the premise and cry because every face is new and equally horrifying to us, especially that of the teachers, who seem to appear as the “Bogey Man” of the many horror stories narrated by our mom’s.

So amongst that huge crowd when we find the mild looking person, who is of our age, tiny and terrified, we tend to get along well with that kid and slowly similar terrified looking kids join the group and by the end of a week, we don’t even realise that we are all best buddies. But, there is one stark difference between toddlerhood friendship and friendship in youth days. Youngsters mostly tend to be the one who like to go along with the crowd, i.e. the ones who are popular and loved by the teachers, considered to be cool etc.

It is not bad to be with them, but what we should keep in mind is whether the group of friends we choose are the real friends or just “friends for benefit”. Real friends who can vouch for you whenever you need their help are rare to find, but if one does then the person surely has hit the jackpot.

Peer pressure has often led to serious offensive acts that have taken place in schools and colleges and in certain events have led to the youngster’s death. The usual cases reported on incidents that were a result of peer pressure includes that of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, getting caught in sex racket cases and recently the trends of the rave parties, which is taking the reputation of the present generation youngsters down the drains.

To be responsible for one’s own actions is a very responsible attitude that is present in very few people today. Unleashing one’s own freedom rights is good, but good to the extent where you are not violating others freedom. However, very few people do wish to take advice and hence are the ones who mostly get into bigger troubles in life. Before life gives you a bigger jolt, wake up and be responsible citizens.

Minu Aravind is a self-motivated writer and blogger with an ability to develop unique content, is associated with Top ten IGCSE Schools in Bangalore. She is a strong advocate of high-grade education, and focuses to develop blogs and articles in the field of education, parenting, and child development and so on.

Aiming at World Peace

India is the third most populated country in the world and according to the Global Peace Index, which shows India to be in the top 20 violent countries in the world. With the advent of recent events taking place showing the growing rate of criminal cases in our country and especially highlighted area of Delhi, which is the Capital of India. Criminal offences are becoming frequent occurrence’s, especially against women and children, like rape, sexual abuse, road harassment, molestation, dowry deaths, female infanticide, etc. 

It is high time we stayed quiet, took the blows of our chauvinistic male dominated society and felt ashamed of anything that happened with us, considering it was our fault. It’s time we voiced our opinions about the injustice hurled, our government which is failing at every level to provide a safe and secured country should be forced to take stern action against all such incidences so that it serves as a good lesson for every human being who takes the laws and life of an innocent for granted. 

These instances call for serious actions from the schools as well as from parents. The schools should incorporate martial arts training classes for its student, to enable with them self-defence skills and other ways of keeping themselves away from danger. Use of pepper sprays, red chilli powder, sharp objects and other such equipment’s are used by girls these days while travelling alone, it serves as a means of protection from strangers. But what about small kids, who are unable to express themselves mostly and are the worst affected because of their vulnerability. In such case, parents and schools should be quick to implement rules and other forms of martial arts to teach the little one to fight back when it is necessary to do so.

Especially, schools should have counselling sessions for children to make these small kids aware of the horrible activities that they are liable to face someday in their lives. Also, counsellors can also help any traumatised child to come out of any such dreadful event that has already happened. The government of India should be strict with those schools who misbehave inhumanly to the young traumatized victims. Isolation or sympathy is the last thing that the victims of any such case want. Care should be taken to have a thorough profile check of all the employees done who are recruited newly. As most cases of child molestation and harassment comes from schools. Let us take initiatives in making our country a better place to live in, without being under constant threat or fear of extinction.

Minu Aravind is a self-motivated writer and blogger with an ability to develop unique content , is associated with admissions in Hyderabad. She is a strong advocate of high-grade education, and focuses to develop blogs and articles in the field of education, parenting, child development and so on.