Social networking sites such as Orkut and Facebook are a hit with Indian youngsters. These sites put you on cloud nine, when you see the number of friend requests that come your way. (Many have met their school friends and have arranged reunions. Thanks to Orkut and Facebook!) It also annoys you and brings in a whole lot of competition among friends and relatives! (Facebook poke, hit, slap...and the friend requests on Orkut “Hey am so on and so...can we be friends??) Have you realized that you are posting on people's wall with whom you have just exchanged greetings during college days! What an irony!
Microblogging sites such as Twitter lets one 'follow' and 'unfollow' people. Tweeting thoughts in140 characters or less is an art that youngsters are getting hooked to.
Also friends exchange images frequently over social networking sites such as Facebook which lets you' tag' friends. Does it invoke feelings of jealousy? The updates on Facebook profiles have often made your day but have broken the hearts of your friends and relatives. (A Facebook update showing you are on a 15 day trip to Egypt will not go down too well with your relatives!)
Communication has changed over the years and the fact that social media is here to stay makes it all the more challenging. It is a two-way medium with messages being exchanged faster than ever before but all you psychology students out there are interested in the body language and the personality of an individual rather than updates and posts. There are a majority of people who get out of their boredom managing Internet relationships. Consider, for example, how people you know often seem different online displaying sides of their personalities you have never seen before. Do you see some of your friends show a different side of their personality? Are they aggressive? Are they saying things that they would not otherwise? Do they seem new to you? Welcome to the whole new world of making friends online!
Source: Online.wsj
