The value of good talk in the electronic communication devices

http://www.cybervictims.org by Dr. Debarati Halder

In a recent workshop on cyber crime I was delighted to hear how young people use the social media in unique ways which were not known before. Interacting with the participants made me understand that people are taking social media more casually than before. Remember the advertisement of a particular mobile phone company where a lift man asks a young professional “will you be my Facebook friend”? As many researchers have pointed out, cheap access to internet has made more and more people getting into it; but there is a huge lack understanding of the netiquettes. Be it social media, email communication or sending SMSs, it has become a norm to send ‘smilies’, slang words or even apparently vulgar words when the communication involves two or more friends who catch up each other for casual chat. This trend has proved dangerous time and again. Especially when the matured teens or young adults are involved and they do not hold a back ground of erudite families, the problem becomes bigger. India has a large sect of urban slum population which uses indecent language in everyday life. Be it wife abuse, elder abuse, child abuse in the slums  or even drunken men making nuisance in public places, we do get to hear such sorts of words which prick minds of any educated individual; however,  I do agree that usage of bad words in domestic violence are not limited to slums only. Many of us strictly believe that the language used by elders has a huge impact on the children at home. Truly, I have seen many instances where children at a very young age started picking up the not so decent language trend and it did reflect in their social communication skill. When in school, such usage of the language may turn them into huge bullies; not to forget that there are several restrictions in freedom of speech that is guaranteed by our constitution and these children and young adults like their peers, may even unknowingly fall in the other side of law when they communicate in such unconstitutional language.

In the workshop I had asked several teachers whether they are aware of any bullying incidences including cyber bullying. Not many could answer and this showed how bullying still remains unrecognised in our country. While real life bullying does not get due attention, what can we think about online bullying? Many youngsters including college students do not understand that with a technology that helps in communicating need for understanding the value of ‘good talks’ is increasing. In India, an easiest way to trigger violence is to hurt one with community sentiments. I could not stop myself from alerting a matured teenager school student who was then residing in a private Home for poor students run by an  NGO adjacent to my home when I heard he was teasing somebody over phone by calling the recipient ‘neech jati’ ( people from lower cast). Probably the recipient also teased him in similar language, but what these children were unaware of was, they were slowly entering a big bad world unknowingly by constantly flouting the law which is meant to maintain decency of language. The boy probably had seen his peers or parents addressing others in similar fashion; but this proves how essential it has become to teach children the need to use good language while communicating over electronic devices. Nonetheless, with Diwali knocking at the door, many would be experimenting with their handsets and you readers be prepared to receive prank calls, obscene SMSs and drunken calls. Unless we as a society understand the value of good talks over bad talks, there would be more such communications which will destroy our piece of minds and may even instigate unknown dangers.

Stay safe.

Please Note: Do not violate copyright of this blog. If you would like to use informations provided in this blog for your own assignment/writeup/project/blog/article, please cite it as “Halder D. (2013), “The value of good talk ”, 31^st October,,2013, published in http://cybervictims.blogspot.com/”

The positive side of social media

http://www.cybervictims.org

There have been lots of discussions on negativeness of social media. Children and women are considered as most vulnerable groups who can be targeted through social media and I completely agree with these views. But all is not always bad. Today completes exactly one month since I received my doctorate degree certificate from National Law School of India University, Bangalore on 1 st September, 2013. When my name was called by the Vice Chancellor and I marched towards the Hon’ble Chief justice of India who would be giving me the degree certificate, I realised that my time in the social media for past three years for almost 6 hours every day was not at all a wastage; for I built up my entire thesis on the social media and how it is being misused targeting women, how the laws are falling silent in front of the sharp abusive words that describe the victims in filthiest words and why  all is not well in the social media. A few principles that I followed to protect my digital identity were learnt from earlier researches, hugely read blogs and from my own experiences and these include keeping those information private which I never wanted to share with the world. I had a very bad experience of being stalked. Social media had nothing to do with it though, but keeping this in mind, i wanted to explore the social media and what i got in them was nothing but gems.

        Social media, as they promise, can bring  old friends back.  When I searched in Orkut, I got a whole lot of friends who were my best time buddies in the school. There were these two particular girls whom I never met since I was 12 years old. I got them back through Orkut and later got well connected through Facebook. We exchanged our phone numbers and talked for hours. They were not ‘fake avatars’( I coined this in my paper Halder, D. (2013). Examining the scope of Indecent representation of Women (Prevention) Act, 1986, in the light of Cyber Victimization. National Law School Journal, 11, 188-218)  They were real and I understood this when both of them shared particular incidents in the school that only we know. I got to know my seniors from the law college where I did my law under graduation course and each of them gave moral boosting to become what I am today. I searched for my classmates from the law college in the ‘groups’ and found out the whole gang after nearly 13 years of leaving the college. We still have virtual hang outs. We grew up together for five years and we were fresh from the high schools. Orkut and Facebook took me back to those golden days of young adulthood when almost all of us were running to the same dream: to wear the black gown and fight for justice. However, Facebook found us more matured when we would discuss about legal points, share our advanced knowledge and also grow our professional network. During my leisure time, I love  to watch the group behaviours in the social media. I actively participate in many group discussions and this has taught me the difference between ‘good talk’ and ‘bad talk’. I agree, if I had not experienced the ‘bad talks’, I would never had understood what are ‘good talks’. I still stay in many groups to learn many new ideologies of law. One such group proved to be extremely beneficial not only for my thesis, but also for my own understanding of practical aspects lawyering. I met some legal stalwarts and I was literally pampered by them when I wanted to clarify my doubts which arose while reading their works. Yes, Facebook brings you more close to your virtual professors and the ‘in- box’, if used properly can give you more than a ‘most sold’ book. Nonetheless, social media gave me opportunity to grow myself and read more current affairs. Believe me or not, i use Twitter to read the breaking news not only from one news channel, but from more than fifty domestic and international news channels, which are further shared by many Tweet- handles whom I religiously follow.

I am a Ph.d degree holder now and I may not apparently need to be glued to the social media anymore like before. But this addiction is for positive gain. This is especially so when one knows how and when to stop the virtual window and use the knowledge gained from it in real life.

Nonetheless, use social media for good and you may reap more than you sowed.

Please Note: Do not violate copyright of this blog. If you would like to use informations provided in this blog for your own assignment/writeup/project/blog/article, please cite it as “Halder D. (2013), “The positive side of social media”

October 1, 2013, published in http://debaraticyberspace.blogspot.com"