Porn Ban No Deterrent

The world is changing at a very fast rate today where adolescents are particularly fraught. Constant debates of whether to ban or not to ban pornography have brought the topic again in light- comfortableness of parents in discussing sexuality. No matter how open our thoughts are, sexuality is one such topic from which we all still shy away when it comes to having a healthy conversation. 

The younger generation shares a proclivity towards sexuality. Watching porn is a natural adolescent curiosity and ban is likely to increase their interest rather than deterring. However this does mean a salacious outlook towards society. Well according to me, those who are exposed to natural diet of sexuality, their chances of becoming a sensible towards sexuality are far brighter. Even if he/she is occasionally indulging in porn, it is fine and causes no signs of stress.

According to government reports and articles, porn websites show violence, discrimination, exploitation and altruism. This aspect can have a negative impact on the young minds because adolescent is a very sensitive age where you have selective perception and what you absorb then becomes reality of your life in your later stages. However, banning porn will not serve the purpose. Rather, the government should play an active role in widening the scale of sex education and making it compulsory for teenagers can probably fulfill the purpose.

Also, I believe parents have a very active role to play. Parents should become less squeamish with their children while discussing heavy topics like sexuality. If parents are apprehensive to talk about adult topics with children then there are chances that children start associating sex with sin or shame which can lead to sexual apprehensiveness later in life. It’s a fallacy that the earlier/more you talk about sex with children, more they will get interested in. Well interest/disinterest is a matter of choice. A clear demarcation needs to be done to differentiate between what they are watching and the real act of making love. That’s what we need to explain to the youth of the nation. Parents should keep a close eye on the websites that children are using and for what purpose. The personal computer should be placed in a public place at home where parents can keep an eye as to what kids are doing over net. Socially offensive or desolated websites should be blocked. Also, porn sites are not the only contender for showing expletives,  mobile phones are also in the same line. Whatsapp and other social messaging applications has made the sharing of photographs and videos simple that it has formulated into a trend. Parents should be punctilious as to what content they should keep with them and which one to delete. Be very careful when you phone is not with you and your child is using it. He/ she may, out of curiosity, indulge in something which is not appropriate.

To solve this problem, government should partner with NGO’s and organize campaigns, social awareness drives which can help in educating and proliferating the message. In rural regions, nukad natak can be organized. Well these are some suggestions that can surely make some difference and help in making India an improved society                

Sonalika thukral                                            

Lessons on Social Media

All of us, at some point of time have deployed social media as a timeline of our lives. However, we tend to forget that some parts of our lives are meant to be kept secret and some needs attention. One person, I believe who has the acumen to deal with social media is none other than our honorable digitally engaged PM Modi.

From the very first day when the new PMO site went live as he gave his first address after taking oath as Prime Minister, he has continued his timeliness and live nature of social media. All kinds of critical updates whether flak or pleasant congratulatory message or any updates break first in the PMO’s social media stream before an official announcement on traditional means. No doubt, with his “DigitalIndia” move, the commoners are expecting a lot of infrastructural and economic growth in the years to come. PM Modi has always tried to let a little bit of his personality reflect in every move that connects him to the audience. Modi’s monthly radio show “MANN KI BAAT” is an example of a more casual, informal interaction where he is able to touch even the remotest of the villages in India. There is another thing worth noticing, PM Modi seems to understand that expecting people to come to you is passé. Therefore, it’s better to go to the people where they are. Youtube for video watchers, instagram to reach selfie crazy photo fans, radio to address the non online millions. Not to forget, Modi is now amongst the top world leaders in terms of numbers of followers across social media. He was the first to get onto Weibo( Chinese social network). It was a very wise step as it helped him to connect with young Chinese before he visited the country.

 As we always say, every coin has two sides. One trait that is quite evident within him is his capability to civil selective silence. For a PM who is socially super active, sudden silence on topics that are stirring national interest seems strange, and makes people question the real openness of Modi and his willingness to express himself on seemingly difficult topics.

So really it’s about striking the right balance between what to do and what to avoid. We all need this balance in life and the soon we realize, the better it is.

Sonalika Thukral

Social Media Crises Management

Many companies use social media to build their brand and attract customers (especially e-commerce websites). The management is jubilated by such moves and consider it a huge success. At present, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are considered super effective tools of brand building. However, same are responsible for bringing them down. The halcyons are converted into doldrums. In this article I wish to highlight that how someone's “wall posts” and “status updates” about a particular brand, can tarnish the image of that brand and can work as an inalienable remark to history of the brand.

Let’s discuss some of the recent events that took place. On June 12, 2015 an American citizen, claims he was served a deep fried rat instead of chicken at a California KFC outlet. He posts a picture on Facebook that suffuse viral across the globe. KFC denies the allegations, says it looks like a hoax. On June 16: KFC India posts a Facebook message: "KFC takes customer claims very seriously, and they are investigating this matter. On June 22: A DNA test confirms the product was chicken and the incident was a hoax. KFC asked the “American “to apologize. Even as KFC's 'fried rat' finally turned out to be a canard, for a good 10 days the brand was roasted on social media. Not to forget the denunciation faced by the brand all over the world. During those 10 days the sale of the KFC dropped by 75% in India alone. This whole process of debunking the “truth” turned into legal complications for the perky American customer who posted that picture on Facebook and that turned into gauche.

Companies today are fastidious. However, the only setback for KFC was that it responded to the issue very late. A late response always makes people believe that brand is culprit. So the best trick is to lead from the front and respond as quickly as possible. Asperity is important.

Therefore it’s imperative to use the power of social media in the right direction. Without concrete evidence, never point towards a company. Also, on part of the honchos, crisis management plays an important role. The management needs to stand firm and deter the attacks.  

                                                                                            

Sonalika thukral

Social Networking: Boon Or Bane

What really comes to our mind when we hear the word social networking?? Myriad of choices, right! Orkut, twitter, facebook , myspace etc. However my friends, social networking is much more than this. Modern times have flooded all of us with numerous modes of communication which indeed enhance our connectivity with the world. Social networking has come up as a boon for those who wish to connect with their friends especially old friends and acquaintances with whom they have lost touch. Though my opinion is a little different. I believe that social sites have actually degraded our language and thought process. The quality of language is the one suffering. Social media has become an alternate world for craven youth who are constantly looking for the world’s approval to live. Why..!! Why is the youth finding an escape from the real world..! Why are we portraying that we are living for others and need a constant approval to live our life. Posting a picture at night and counting the number of likes and comments in the morning. Do we actually need it? Why do we judge our worth from the likes and comments.

 Not to forget the distractive nature of this world. A lot of time is spent on websites that try to tantalize and waste our time. Not to forget that this time could have been utilized for some productive activity.

Consumers/ firms/ industries do not always use the power of social media to express themselves responsibly. More often they utilize the medium to shame a person or a brand. I may sound tendentious. But it’s high time that we start thinking pragmatically and bolster the society.

The conclusion that I draw from here is that social media has a lot of positives but let’s not oversee the negatives as well. It is surely a boon for human race as it brings people closer and let them communicate without any barriers or limitations. However, still we need to be very cautious of its impact on psychology; young brain development, social and personal behavior. 

Sonalika Thukral