If you consider how people would behave and how the day would go if there was an unexpected internet blackout, it would be both humorous and hazardous. But during those days, everyone in the society was irrationally angry and irritated, wandering around with laptops and smartphones in their hands. Conversely, being still is not equivalent to appreciating the scenery while lounging on the grass and without giving it any consideration.
Information indicates that over 150 crore people use social networking sites globally these days. Many of them are young people and children of school age. The freedom to share anything on social networking sites is the primary factor in their popularity. Social networking sites claim to be bringing people together and uniting a society that has become more individualistic as a result of globalization, but in actuality, users of these sites have become more estranged from their families.
Even though the true motivation behind the development of these websites is purportedly to facilitate better communication between individuals and business development applications, the shift that has occurred in this regard is that people's perceptions of them have shifted from their intended purpose to one of entertainment.
These websites provide just as many drawbacks as benefits. We now inhabit a mobile world. Individuals who brag about having "the world in the palm of their hand" are often unaware of their own addiction to social media. These days, using social networking sites has become a must for everyone. An individual uses various social networking sites such as Facebook, Whats'up, Viber, IMO, Skype, Line, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Messenger, and so on for over ten hours per day. They are always being updated with lots of new features to pique the attention of addicts even more.
Today, the medical world says that social media is the primary cause of the breakdown of many family relationships and the occurrence of various diseases. A person who knows what is going on in the corners of the world today is not aware of the goings-on of the family and its neighbors. Both the husband and wife spend most of their time and do not get time for mutual understanding or exchange of ideas and warm conversation. Also, these parents are not interested in listening to their children's language or playing with finches' fingers. Children who grow up watching their parents are also interested in this website from a young age. Also, some parents do not spare time for their children and provide such social networking facilities for their entertainment. It affects the future of children and spoils their whole life. It is true that nowadays websites make more friends and more knowledge for everyone. But a true friend robs us of many things like freedom, pleasure, peace of mind. According to researchers, those who spend time on websites are less human, stress, fatigue, memory loss, selfishness, eye diseases, high blood pressure, heart and nerve damage etc.
Social networking sites have an impact on children's education, relationships with families, ties with parents, and friendships with other pupils. The media regularly reports on how many young people in today's society are becoming violent to the extent of killing their parents, taking their own lives, and fabricating justifications for murders as a result of using social media. We have no idea how we are affecting those who are addicted to social media—a problem that is even worse than addiction. They cannot possibly be apart from these, not even for a brief period of time. In this sense, the younger generation has to be educated.
Everything has advantages and disadvantages. There are a few more drawbacks to social networking services in the twenty-first century. We need to figure out how to remove them. It is evident that social media use is causing reading to decline, literacy to narrow, deception to proliferate, and positive thinking to increase. It appears that there are no other options available to those who argue that social networking should become our addiction instead of us becoming addicted to it.
Millions of people including actors, political leaders, sportspersons, businessmen have accounts in their name on social networking sites. There is a widespread trend of taking photos from the accounts of such celebrities and starting fake accounts in their names. Unknowingly, many people follow it mistaking it as a social media account of certain celebrities. The trend of stealing photos of common people and opening fake accounts in their names and asking for money from their circle of friends has also increased in recent days. Finally, there is a need to enact new laws on IT regulations. At this point we have to examine how far the present law will influence to control such things. Accordingly, we cannot deny that the police department of our country does not have the high-tech facilities to take action on those fake accounts if the concerned people complain to the police stations about the fake accounts that are started in the names of users using social websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube and the frauds that are projected thereon. It is the urgent duty of the Government of Sri Lanka to fix these as per the need of the times.
In recent days, the Sri Lankan government has been keeping an eye out for fraudulent websites and social networking accounts. Personal oppression is not at play here. Legislation prohibiting phony social media profiles has been passed and implemented by democracies. If claimants are discovered for any comments made on social media or websites, that is not an issue. However, it causes issues for everyone if no one is accountable for the remarks said. Such accounts ought to be the subject of legal action.
Students of nowadays become distracted by their phones and forget what they are supposed to be studying. It is seen that students are so influenced by their surroundings that they lack awareness of what is going on. They are not actively learning since they are engrossed in social media and have no idea what is going on around them. Rather, they squander time on e-books and phone games. It is evident that kids spend so much time playing phone games that they neglect to eat and sleep. We are unable to dispute the widely held belief that they occasionally use social media in lieu of attending class.
Because of programs like WhatsApp, IMMO, and Viber, the majority of students today are influenced by their phones. In other words, people tend to spend more time and engage in video and text chats with their friends on all social networking sites via phone. They use WhatsApp more frequently to make status updates. Students' psychological well-being is also impacted by their interest about the number of persons who have viewed their status.
Students who are used to checking the time on their phones are losing the ability to tell time by looking at the clock. Students seem attuned to the time easily displayed on their phones. Also, texting is inhibiting language development among students. Students who use phones are seen as lacking in social relationships. They don't even know the people around them. They are oblivious to every person in society and confine their world to a phone. Due to the increased use of phones, they are more likely to be taken to school. The Blue Well game in the past has been an event that has rocked the world. It is a sport that has had a massive bio-impact among mostly students. Also, those who play some games are seen as having no other thoughts. Due to their games, they forget one thing called exercise. It causes physical ailments among the students and reduces their performance with enthusiasm.
Students' usage of facsimiles disrupts both their behavior and culture. They form bonds with total strangers, encourage abnormal conduct, fall in love, and end their lives. Students are using their phones in class, and even when they are, they are not paying as much attention in class because of the homepage mania. Consequently, it has been noted that those who use their phones frequently experience headaches and earaches, and some models of phones in their pockets might induce thigh stiffness. Additionally, it's thought that the radiation that cell phones generate damages men's health and results in infertility.
Also there are pedestrians crossing the streets talking on mobile phones and checking text messages. Many people walk the streets and railway tracks with their cell phones without warning. But, they should know the seriousness of their actions in advance. Only then accidents caused by mobile phones can be avoided. Parents and teachers should take note of the students who are found in this situation and involve them in learning activities and create involvement in the learning activities among the students. Teachers should also reduce the use of phones among students. It is important for parents to make their children aware of its consequences. Making efforts to reduce phone use by students and those in the community is essential to guide the learning process of today's students.
Because of this, the effects of globalization are evident in the teaching and learning activities that students engage in, even if they are aware of many of the advantages. The high rate of student disengagement is caused by their use of mobile devices and their involvement in them to the fullest. It is our collective societal duty to educate children about the negative consequences of cell phone use, how to turn academic tasks into topics they are interested in, and what our aspirations are for the future.