Cyber Connections

This week, we take a break from TPH to discuss a few facts about a relatively new Internet craze that is catching on like wildfire: Social networking sites. It is now a fact that the blog phenomenon is here to stay. Not only that, blogs are slowly but surely changing the media environment in a way that many pundits like to term as ‘democratising’ the media. The longevity of social networking sites are in doubt however, because of the looming tales draped around them.

For those of you who are new to the concept, Hi5, Friendster, Orkut are a few examples of popular social networking websites where users sign-up. They link up with other users on the site; usually the majority of which are their actual friends. Soon a virtual network of friends builds up on cyber space that stretches far and wide, beyond geographic borders.

These networks are searchable, with few restrictions and if I was a member of one of these sites, I would be able to build up a network of ‘friends’ and browse through the profiles of my friends’ friends and so on. You can comment on your friends, send them messages and share pictures. Most of these sites have blogs or diaries too, where you can post your thoughts, add a brief description about your self and list your interests.

This is a fun and easy way to keep in touch with your friends, but it has its risks too. I am not going to discuss the dangers attached to our interactions and behaviour on the Internet, because we discussed that not so long ago in this column. What I want to draw your attention to today is the fact that you and I belong to the first generation of human beings who are growing up with technology that has virtually brought the whole world – its opportunities and its dangers – to our doorsteps whether we like it or not.

Our parents may have never encountered people beyond their neighbourhood and school or their closely-knit social network of family and friends. On the other hand, I have a computer on my desktop which I can use to search for a person who at least claims to have the same interests that I do no matter where he or she is in the world and communicate freely and openly. We have more opportunities to keep in touch with our friends who are dispersed around the world and make new friends from around the world without leaving the comfort of our homes.Most of what we know about how we should behave in society has been taught to us by our parents and teachers. In fact, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable about our behaviour has been handed down traditionally through centuries if not millennia of human civilization. Yet the past few decades have separated two generations by such drastic changes in technology that the challenge lies before our present generation to create new rules and ethics and enforce them in this 'virtual' realm of social existence that we call the Internet. In other words, while it has taken millennia for the human race to construct the modern socio-cultural structure, we have to do the same on the Internet in the span of one generation!

So, do we shun these changes and shy away from it simply because we are not sure how it works? Or do we embrace it without being fully aware of its potential dangers? The next time you log on to a social networking site or an Instant Messenger or public chat room, and decide to send a message to a total stranger… or if you should receive a message from a total stranger, how would you go about it… and how would you react? How do you find out if it is safe enough to maintain ties with a particular individual that you may have never met or spoken with in real life? Write in with your thoughts to technopage@gmail.com