For GenY the number of “likes” or comments one gets on recently uploaded pictures or statuses, or the number of responses evoked by a tweet, is a measure of their popularity. Social mediums like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly becoming the gauging meter for success. But like everything, it too has a dark side. The lack of right guidance may lead to cases like recently, a 17-year-old school student was sedated and raped by two men in an upscale South Delhi colony on New Year’s eve. The student had met one of the accused on Facebook.
“Privacy is an important issue and is often overlooked by youngsters. If you use networking sites, you should understand the privacy settings and double check if you are comfortable who you are sharing your information with,” says Callum Haywood, CEO of the social-networking site, We Know What You’re Doing.
Talking about the millennium generation, city youngster Ritu Kharayat says, “We have started selling and exposing our emotions to such an extent that it has started creating an envelope of artificiality around us. Social networking sites have started to act as a feel-good factor in our lives.”
“Everyone intends to portray that life is perfect. Any negative publicity, harsh remarks or exposures of vulnerability carries a notion of shame and puts immense peer pressure on the youth,” says Dr Pulkit Sharma, clinical psychologist, VIMHANS.
Take the case of Nikhil Bharadwaj, a bright student of a reputed college in Delhi University. “Once, I was lured by a stranger who approached me on Facebook. He promised me that he’d arrange a girl for me and help me lose my virginity. He called me with `10,000 to a shoddy hotel room,” says Nikhil. What followed was shocking — the youngster was robbed of his money and sodomised.
Expressing his concern over the increasing social media addiction amongst youngsters, Pavan Duggal, cyber laws expert and advocate Supreme Court of India says, “Don’t trust anyone in the virtual space. There are lots of predators out there, you need to be careful as lots of online paedophiles are waiting to pounce on you under the garb of civilised behaviour.”
Girish Banwari, psychiatrist, says, “Loneliness, social anxiety and low self-esteem may drive introverted or depressed adolescents to social networking sites, where they may befriend strangers who may exploit their naiveté. The comfort of anonymity and ease of getting social approval make networking sites an alluring medium of interaction.”