SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERTISE
NAKSHATRA PACHAURI Author of Post Zombieism: The Social Media Hordes
Social media has today ceased to be the medium providing the voice to the masses. Instead it has now become a platform wherein the vicious biases inflicting the masses are being voiced vociferously. For example, when Priyanka Chopra’s hemline was attacked ( while she was meeting the PM), a total non- issue overshadowed the primary purpose of the said meeting between two hugely influential icons of our times. The psychology presenting itself here was to attack a well- known personality by bringing him/ her in the firing range of the troll’s cultural and social paradigms. Once trolls create such equalisations, a no holds barred attack follows. Sometimes, the mistake a celebrity makes is to react to such trolling. As soon as this celebrity reaction appears, more and more trolls stand vindicated and begin pouring filth thereby escalating vitriol further. Why does this happen? This happens because while the laws to deal with such online behaviour are still work in progress, the high psychological benefits achieved from bad mouthing are achieved at almost no cost to the trolls. In fact, this incentivises such trolls to even flirt into becoming an alternate celebrity in their own alternate universe. And this happens also because the social media ( especially twitter) allows an interface with the high and mighty of the society, thus giving an impression to the users that any attack on the celebrity may gain them an instant recognition. This is a similar modus operandi to terrorist networks who attempt to create spectacles to gain attention. Yet on social media, the jealousy towards those established in the society is one big reason for such troll behaviour. And the jealousy doesn’t just manifest itself by attacks on popular culture icons alone. One can witness this behaviour even in an intellectual argument, wherein any contrarian point of view is met with the ferocity of contempt rather than through the mode of constructive argument. Morality, religion and nationalism are the main factors today resulting in this polarisation within our societies which in this fast moving world of social media doesnt allow any respite for attempting a reconciliation either. North Korea- South Korea may shake hands in the real world, but in the virtual world for all our self proclaimed warriors ( feeding their own egos) such meeting of minds is impossible. And unfortunately this is not just a conservative trait but is as much demonstrated by the liberal forces. Social media forces us to take positions on issues without giving any facility or opportunity to learn about the issue at hand. This means that positions are taken without real knowledge and the fights become not ‘ about the issue’ but about the position itself. And to defend such ultra positions social media trolls depend on other like minded individuals and the number game finally decides the winners and losers. The form ( of supporting numbers) rather than the substance ( of arguments) become the clinching factor. However this is not a reflection on the Indian user behaviour alone. The whole world is undergoing this transformation where people having found their own voices, began muzzling each other’s.