Padma Thuravil

Socially Yours

The last few weeks have gone by in a blur. While work takes a front seat, whenever it can, other times has me wondering about the kind of social creatures ‘We’ are…

In this day and age where all of us are CONNECTED – technologically I mean, through some means or the other, can the social networking sites be left behind…

Any social networking site you view today are swarmed with people connected to millions of people all over the world… someone really correctly said the World is a Global Village… and I say, we are all ‘well connected Friendly Next Page Neighbours’!!!

 I "LOVE" the social networking sites, in all forms, sizes and shapes... I am so very connected… Thank You. I did not know so many people KNEW me... and wanted to be FRIENDS with me... Really!!!!... 

There are social networking sites, then again, there are few more of the same versions. The difference between the two being - how popular each one is and what is on offer!

Have we not already heard of "Refer a site, add friends and win a free ipod"... did anyone ever get the free ipod?

All this makes me think of the era of the “Ancient Past” (it seems so now!)  people were known for the number of children they had – this was ‘the more the better’ era. Then came an era where people were known for theirmonetary worth, then for their mobile phones (read number of contacts on the mobile phones), and life was still fairly simple. Even if we sent and received messages, or were forever Chatting on mobile phones, things were really Cool…or so it seemed.

Enter the "socially yours"  phenomenon... and who’s who rather, who u knew and didn’t know became the rage of the day. So now, we don’t chat and send messages, we simply ping on chat and write on the wall... (all that discipline of not writing on the Wall - gone down the drain, we would have been better if we had doodled on the home wall when we were kids. I need to talk to my mother on this now!!!). I dread to think of today’s generation born into the “writing-on-the-face book-wall’…I guess they will have to say, “Beta, don’t doodle on the home wall, Face book wall hai na!! Grow up and doodle there!!!” J

The "relatives" factor is relatively becoming non-existent too, for, we are all Friends on Face Book and other SNS, and we are all very friendly. I even remember everyone’s Birthdays and Anniversaries... - but I forget to wish my HUSBAND on his birthday. Not my fault…he’s hardly there on FB.

Now we are known for the number of Friends" on SNS. So, is 500 a good number or is 2000?  Leads me to wonder if I have lesser number of friends on SNS then am I a "lesser Friendly" person (read less popular)? And if I have a greater friend base, then would the opposite be true? Now this is against the law of human nature, since a shy person is not actually supposed to make too many friends, but on SNS he / she seems to be the MOST FRIENDLIEST person around.

Now, for those who came in late, a gist of what a SNS means and what it could do for you, rather what can YOU do in it is summarized below:

1.  Brag.... show off.... update if your morning tea was good or your late night was really late.... - make people jealous!!!!
2. Put your pictures…in fact upload all of them. Your 300th friend whom you just added, had seen you in your nursery, he sure wants to see how you look now... and your cute daughter and son too. Also, would our friends not be happy to see us in good form - enjoying ourselves, so put the picture of the latest outing, update friends on the newest mobile phone, the LCD TV, if you have bought a new LED TV, better still... make em’ go GREEN!!
3. Make people read, and read more on your wall, is it not the reason why we have the NOTES Section!! 

Of course you will also use it to help Friends and friends of friends on any emergency, is just something that’s understood on the WALL!!! 

If this is not a REVOLUTION, then what is?

We have an illiteracy problem.... so they say. I say, show me…with so many people writing, reading, pinging.... where is the illiteracy, specifically computer illiteracy? My Dad will vouch for it... after all how many octogenarians learn to use the computer (right from not knowing where the "ON" button is) and graduate to having their own portfolios on SNS in exactly 3 months time? No, he is not on FB.... Yet!!! ... else he will kill me for this... though he will only send me a mail to express his unhappiness, or rather chat with me online but then... a Dad is a Dad!!!

Got to go... my dad’s online - and i have promised to open the FB account for him. Another "Friend" addition to my already overflowing friends list